Reflections in the Cosmos
by Emochan
Summary: Based off movie. Lydia has grown up since she last saw Beetlejuice. When he is forced to help her in a dire situation, they both realize something has changed between them. With so many questions needing answers, a strange new world opens up. Read&Review!
1. Prologue

_Say my name._

_All you have to do is say my name, Babes._

_Once…twice…third time's the charm…_

The room was soaked in darkness. The deep night outside filled every corner, as if waiting to devour everything inside. But it was alright. At least the bed was warm. The day was so terrible that it didn't even matter at this point. Heavy eyes beckoned for the darkness in order to forget.

Forget…

_Say my name…_

A faint whisper crept into the air. A voice from long ago that it was almost unrecognizable. Upon realization of the source, chills covered every fiber of her being. How was it possible? It couldn't be. Her mind was just overwhelmed by what happened. No way could that voice exist.

But why would she imagine it? How _could_ she? Maybe she really was losing her mind.

_Say it…_

There it was again! Like a splinter in her mind. It was a little louder now, making her start to feel nausea at the thought. It had been too many years. Those events left her when she moved away from that distressing house. Too many memories had scarred her to stay there.

Her black eyes darted across her small bedroom, scrambling for the source of the whispers. But the darkness had engulfed everything around her. The only thing she could make out was her vanity mirror, which sat atop a burgundy dresser across from her bed. She had to be losing her mind. The horror from earlier was making her imagine things. That had to be it. She desperately needed sleep. As she rubbed her sore eyes, she sighed and turned over in her bed, satisfied that it was only her imagination speaking to her.

As she buried her frail frame within her heavy comforter, she couldn't help but exhale a single word. A word that held such meaning to her that she almost felt her entire body shiver as it escaped her lips.

"Beetlejuice…"


	2. The Ghost with the Most

**The Ghost with the Most**

_That's it! Almost thought you forgot about me._

Her body jolted upright in her bed as a feeling of dread washed over her. Her mind needed to stop this. She couldn't handle any more. Something caught her eyes, and she noticed a grey flicker in her mirror. Her legs pulled themselves up and she rested her head on her knees. A pull from deep within her gut reacted to the idea that maybe…just maybe…she _wasn't_ imagining it. If so, then she may be in even more danger than she could've thought possible that night. To test this, she tilted her head to the side of her knee, letting messy hair fall over her tired eyes.

"Beetlejuice."

It rolled off her tongue like the word was any other word in the dictionary. It surprised her more than she expected.

_Third time's a charm, Babes._

The voice was clearer now. The room began to feel colder somehow. Her arms drape around her legs, holding them closer to her chest to recover some warmth. The thrill of possibilities made her ponder her options. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Right now, life was hell anyway. And from what she remembered, death wasn't much worse. One thing becoming worse, though, was the nausea. Regret was probable. Fear was imminent. But the pull inside of her made the thrill stronger than everything else. She buried her face in her knees for protection as her mouth whispered on its own.

"Beetlejuice…"

The floor began to shake; subtly at first, but it increased so much that she heard books falling off of the bookshelves, glass breaking, and she held herself as tight as she could. Her own bed began to shake, causing a whimper to come out of her from fear. She glanced from her knees and saw a bright flash of green light sprout from her mirror. Purple smoke poured from the glass and filled the room. Her heart was pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears.

The smoke began to spin upwards, taking shape. It was such a blur that she had to rub her eyes to fix her vision. As she readjusted her sight, the smoke receded. Her mouth was agape at the sight before her. If she was going insane, this was proof.

The first things she noticed were the stripes. The bold black and white stripes decorated the old-fashioned suit. A pale-pink shirt could be seen peeking from within the striped jacket, with a solid black tie running down between the jacket's buttons. Her eyes ran upwards and followed up long strands of light yellow hair that dangled along broad shoulders. It looked almost brushed out, which surprised her through the horror. The off-white skin underneath seemed to glow in the darkness, and if not, then the deep jade eyes that were staring back at her certainly did.

There was silence in the room. She didn't, no, _couldn't_ think of anything to say. Her body was frozen in place and she instantly began to feel faint. The figure in front of her slumped against her dresser and grinned slyly.

"Glad to see I still make an impression on ya." The voice was deep and nostalgic. It rang in her head as she tried to compose herself.

Another moment of silence passed. Was he really standing in front of her? Something was different. Off. She tried to wrap her mind around it. True, it had been years since she last laid eyes on the terror that scarred her family. But he was different somehow…

His arms crossed in front of his chest as he waited for a response, and she noticed that the red nails were still there. "Are you going to greet me or just sit there looking like a fish waiting to be gutted?" He smirked a little at his joke. She shook her head to change her facial expression as blood rushed to her pale cheeks. "As much as I like darkness, Babes, you need some light in here to see me better!" His fingers snapped and her overhead light flickered on, created a yellow hue in the room. She could've sworn that she heard him gasp, but she dismissed it. When she got a better look at him, she realized what the difference was.

Was he…younger…than she remembered?

Her mind began to race. Memories from before flooded her as well as the events of that day. They meshed inside of her and she grew increasingly lethargic. Before she could help it, her body felt incredibly limp. She slumped backwards, hitting the bed with her back and slipping into unconsciousness.

"_Mr. and Mrs. Maitland? Hello? Where are you?" _

"_Dead. Dead, dead, deadski."_

"_Of course they're dead. They're ghosts." _

"_No, I mean they're gone, split, out of here, afterlife kids, deceased-ahh." _

"_Are you a ghost too?"_

"_I'm the ghost with the most, babe."_

Her face felt cold. As she opened her eyes, the daylight that filtered through her bedroom windows gleamed over her bed. Where was the cold coming from?

"Jeez, just like a woman to faint from my great looks. You had me waiting for hours for you to wake up." The voice from last night bellowed from her side. She gasped and sat up, noticing that the figure from the night before was still in her room. It wasn't a dream! She suddenly became very aware of her body and she squeezed the comforter around her. Her actions only made the man burst out in laughter. He held his sides while the sounds he made rang in her head. "As tempting as it would've been, I'd rather not mess with a catatonic chick."

The blood flew to her cheeks yet again and she growled at herself in defeat. Her muscles relaxed enough for her to lower her blankets. One of her hands ran through her matted hair, trying to get it out of her eyes. Still unsure how to respond to the situation at the moment, she merely yawned and forced herself to speak.

"You watched me while I slept?" That question as all she could muster out of all the inquiries she had for him. Her question made him grin, baring his fang-like teeth.

"Ha! Could've done much worse than that. You _did_ call me out, but then passed out. I figured I'd wait 'til you woke up before exerting my talents, if ya know what I mean." As he spoke, she noticed that he was levitating slightly from the floor. His egocentric attitude didn't change since the last time she saw him. His legs curled up into an Indian-sytle pose and he rested his head on his hands, looking at her intently. "So, how old are ya now? Don't look much like a little girl anymore, hehe…"

The raven-haired woman sighed as she leaned against the wall behind her bed.

"I'm twenty-three now."

"Wow! You grew up quite a bit! Better chances for me, then!" The man giggled a bit to himself, probably in response to a crude thought, she figured. She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "So Lydia…" His voice sounded much closer than before. Her eyes flashed open to see his only inches away from hers. The black patched around his jade eyes were more clearly defined than they were last night. Her body jolted from the shock and she gulped. "What was with you last night? You looked more miserable than the way I remember you."

Lydia wasn't sure how to respond. It really wasn't his business why she was upset. But she _did _call him. Then again, he enticed her. And after all this time…

"Why did you want me to call you?" She spat back at him, making him pull himself a few feet away. His fingers curled into a fist that rested against one of his cheeks as he looked at her in spite. A moment of thought read on his face and he sighed.

"You'd be amazed how boring the underworld is. The 'fun' we had together way back when made my blood boil…well if I _had _any it would've boiled. After the sandworm got me, I was placed in waiting to see that damn Juno." He snapped his head to the side and growled. Lydia watched his hands form into fists as anger rose in his voice. "She put me in a holding room, telling me I had to shape up! What a bitch." For some reason, Lydia felt the urge to giggle. She held it in for the time being. She didn't remember him ever being so flustered. He glared at her. "Hey! You didn't answer _my_ question!"

"You didn't answer mine yet." The young woman raised an eyebrow. "You could reach me from a holding room?"

"Well no, it was sealed off from all worlds. Had no tv, either," Beetlejuice grumbled in disappointment as he levitated himself above Lydia's bed. "It was just me, myself, and I in there. But I finally got out. And it was all because…" he pointed one of his pale fingers at Lydia as he spoke, "of you."

"Me? Why?" Lydia was taken aback with what he said. How could she be any reason for him to be let out? It was because of her that he was put in any kind of prison. Served him right, too. Beetlejuice leaned back and shrugged.

"Jeez, you're still as ignorant as before. Juno came to see me not too long ago, spewing something about how I could make up for my actions. Mentioned helping you out with something, but she wouldn't tell me what. Said I had only so much time to help you out, before getting into deeper crap. So…" he leaned forward and gawked at her with his jade eyes, as if looking for the answer to his question for himself. Lydia tried to think through what he just said to her. He was there to help her? For good reason, she couldn't picture Beetlejuice and help being in the same sentence. Besides, if he was telling the truth, wouldn't Juno have shown up to warn her?

"So what?" Lydia said to break the awkward silence that formed between them. Beetlejuice's face twitched slightly.

"So what's makin' ya so miserable, eh? Need my bio-exorcist skills to get rid of somebody? Need a good haunting done? Hmm?" He grinned at her, sending shivers down her spine because it reminded her of what he had done so many years ago.

"...no…" Lydia's face fell as she spoke.

"Then what is it? I don't have all millennia, you know. I have people to terrorize, places to spook." Beetlejuice dusted off his jacket as he spoke. Lydia was silent. Beetlejuice grumbled and placed his black boots on the floor beside her bed, standing. "What is it with you? Outside of the marriage thing, I couldn't get you to shut up. By the way, no hard feelings on that right?" Lydia glanced up at the poltergeist and her frown deepened. His eyes fell, and she caught what she thought to be concern sparkle inside them. _No way…_She had to have imagined that. "Somethin' really is eating at ya, isn't it? You're not the gothy chick I remember. What happened?"

Lydia shrugged and was at a loss of words. Should she explain it to him? Would he understand at all? Probably not, since he was dead and a bit evil. But he _could_ come in handy if what he told her was true. Besides, she had the power to send him back.

"I need a shower first." Her body felt rotten from sweating in her sleep. Maybe scrubbing herself would make her feel more inclined to speak. She had to sort her thoughts and be alone for a few minutes. Beetlejuice placed his hands on his hips and groaned in impatience.

"Can't that wait?"

"Do you want me to send you back?" Lydia pulled the comforter off her body and slid out of the black satin sheets of her bed. As she stood, her lace nightgown fell down to her knees. For a moment, she thought she noticed Beetlejuice gasp again, but figured it was out of perversion. He frowned and took a few steps back to get out of her way.

"Fine, fine. Go clean up, I guess. I'll just…wait here…" There was a tone in his voice that made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. She whipped her head around and lowered her eyes at him.

"If you so much as enter the bathroom while I'm in there, I won't hesitate to say your name. Remember that." She was as surprised as Beetlejuice at the power behind her voice. But instead of questioning it, she walked over to her bathroom door and opened it. "I won't be long."

"You really have changed…" Beetlejuice whispered softly as she walked inside and closed the door, locking it behind her. Even though a lock couldn't keep him out, it made her feel a little better.


	3. A Deal's a Deal

**A Deal's a Deal**

Lydia's muscles instantly relaxed as the steam from the how water filled the room. She took off her nightgown and stared at her body in her mirror, examining her current condition in disgust. She tried remembering how she looked when she last saw Beetlejuice. She was sixteen back then, and her hair was much shorter and better-kept. She was still in that boarding school, which she couldn't stand. Lydia was always skinny, but she noticed that she was definitely thinner than she was back then. There were slight bags under her eyes as well as some redness that still resided from the night before. _Have I changed that much?_ Her mind was wondering to what Beetlejuice whispered a moment before. _If anything, he's changed! The only way he'd help anyone is out of personal gain. What does he get for helping me? _She frowned at her reflection and turned to her shower. Her personal disgust at her body was unbearable.

The shampoo felt refreshing as she scrubbed it through her hair. When it was wet, it passed her breasts and just barely hit the middle of her back. She decided to grow it out because it made her look older, she thought. A few deep breathes came from her as hot water ran down her pale skin. What was she going to do? Could she even remotely trust Beetlejuice? After what he did to her family and to the Maitlands, she wasn't so sure. But ever since those incidents, something nipped at her. As much as she despised Beetlejuice then, she also felt that deep down, he may have not been so bad. Barbara and Adam told her countless times how Juno categorized him as a troublemaker and that no one they encountered has kind words to say about him. Why did he want to get out of the underworld so badly? Suddenly, the thought of the red wedding gown he made her wore popped into her head and she shuddered.

The sweet scent of vanilla mixed with lavender filled her nostrils as she lathered herself with bodywash. It was difficult trying to figure out what to do. Her curiosity was getting the best of her. Maybe she should tell him what was upsetting her. He could help her out, then she could find out more about him and see what made him tick. She barely knew anything about him, outside the fact that he died after the black plague. Lydia smiled a little as a plan formulated in her head.

"How much longer ya gonna be? You didn't drown in there did ya? Juno would have my head for that." Beetlejuice's voice was awfully close. Lydia froze for a second before slowly pulling back her shower curtain to see Beetlejuice standing with a towel in his hand, grinning at her. She shrieked in fright and covered herself. Water splattered across the floor from the shower head and she slipped. Before she could react, she felt his arms grab onto her body and hold her up. She looked up at him, anger filling her face. Frantically, she grabbed the towel that fell to the floor beside her and wrapped it around herself. Beetlejuice started to laugh and she howled.

"Damnit! I told you NOT to come in here!" She rushed to turn off her shower and frowned at the wet sight before her.

"Aw Babes, don't worry." Beetlejuice snapped his fingers and all the spilled water disappeared. Lydia turned and her eyes flared.

"Come on, you have to admit your response was funny." He was holding himself in laughter. It only made her face redder.

"Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beet-" A cold hand wrapped around her mouth before she could finish. Beetlejuice was behind her now, holding her tightly.

"Alright! Alright! I get it. Jeez, you need to lighten up. It's not like I saw anything anyway!" Lydia fought against his grip, forgetting how strong he was for a ghoul. "Will you chill out?" She finally gave up after realizing she wouldn't win this battle, and he slowly let her go. After gasping for breath for a moment, she sneered.

"Will you at least let me change by myself, please?"

Beetlejuice huffed.

"Why, when I can just…" he raised his fingers and snapped them. "…do this?"

Lydia glanced down and saw that her towel was replaced with a pair of tight black jeans and a blood-red tight shirt. She was about to object but Beetlejuice disappeared from her sight before she could utter a syllable. _What am I getting myself into?_ She grew worried as she left her bathroom, ready to make a deal with a devilish creature.

When she returned to her room, Beetlejuice was sprawled out on her bed, leaning with his arms behind his head and his legs crossed. She also noticed that the effects of the "earthquake" from the night before were erased and her room was back to normal. "Your digs aren't too shabby. Bit too small for me, though," he said as she walked over to her dresser and pulled out her hairbrush.

"Sorry I don't have a railing you could change into." Lydia started to detangle her hair and heard a chuckle from behind.

"Hope your dear old dad forgave me for that. 'Twas all in good fun, ya know." His response made her cringe a little. Her father almost died from that 'good fun'. "Ever hear from that Otho guy? He didn't seem to like the blue outfit I gave him…" Beetlejuice's snickering over old memories made Lydia tense up. She turned and faced him.

"Look, I'm sure you found those times to be wonderful, but they traumatized me. I can't even be in that house anymore because of you."

"Really? I thought you were into that stuff."

"I was, until you tried to force me into marriage."

"Aw, Lyds. I was desperate! And well, you were there…" Lydia could only shrug. She didn't want to talk about the past. Beetlejuice fell silent for a moment before readjusting his arms behind his neck. "Alright, fine. Past is off limits then. Guess I can't beg for forgiveness. Ha! Like I'd beg!" Lydia shook her head in frustration.

"You're just as irritating as you were before. Guess some things will never change."

"You changed." Beetlejuice's matter-of-fact tone surprised Lydia. His ability to shift from comedic of serious perturbed the mortal.

"Of course I changed," Lydia said as she placed her hairbrush back on the dresser and sat down in a recliner by her bedroom window. "It's been over seven years since you saw me last. People grow up."

"Nah, that's not it." Beetlejuice scratched his head a bit and stared at Lydia. She again took metal note as to how young he looked compared to the last time she saw him. Even as a dead guy, he looked to be in his 40s. But now…he could be 25 or 30. Maybe younger. It bothered her. "You aren't the same Lydia I tried to marry. Something's missing. You were all into that gothic crap and photography…haha…those sheet pictures you took were great…" he laughed a bit at the memory. Lydia blushed slightly in embarrassment. She hadn't thought of when she tried taking photos of Barbara and Adam in bed sheets in years. "Oh, forgot. No 'past' talk."

"I still do photography. I'm a freelancer mostly, but will occasionally submit work for newspapers and magazines." Her fingers played with each other in her lap. The tension between the two of them was unrelenting. Lydia could tell that this was going to be a difficult situation. She started to think against her plan…

"Well you got your shower. So will you tell me what's going on so I can get to work?" There was that impatience in his voice again. Lydia gazed at him before turning to look out her window. It was cloudy outside, with a few flakes of snow lazily falling down from the sky.

"We need to make a deal first." She could feel the tension worsen as Beetlejuice sat up straight in the bed.

"What do you mean a deal? It's not like I'm doing this for fun!"

"Look, it's nice for Juno to send you to help me with my problems. But I feel like I'm not getting anything out of this, and I want a guarantee. You're not exactly trustworthy." Lydia kept her eyes towards the window, not wanting to see the anger in Beetlejuice's face.

Beetlejuice's voice softened a little as he spoke, "You want to get hitched? That it? I could totally arrange that." The sarcasm in his voice made Lydia feel sick.

"No. What I want is answers."

"For what?"

"My questions. I have a lot I would like to know about the underworld, afterlife, and…" Lydia turned and looked at Beetlejuice, who was perplexed. "You." Beetlejuice pulled his head back and tilted it to the side, confused.

"You want to know about me? Why? There's nothing to talk about." That was a lie, and Lydia knew it.

"I'd like to know what you were like before we met. Why Juno hates you so much, why you always get into trouble, how you got your powers, what you were like as a human…"

"I don't want to talk about that stuff. It's none of your business." Beetlejuice snapped. Lydia hit a nerve and she knew from the burning look in his eyes. Her heart thumped for a second in her chest.

"Well if you're not willing to do that for me, I won't tell you anything. And if you're on a time-crunch, you'll just have to wait for Juno."

The pained expression on Beetlejuice's face made Lydia feel sympathetic slightly. He looked as though he was battling within his head over what he should do. Was he really that vulnerable?

"You know what? Fine. I'll tell ya whatever ya want to know. But you go first, alright?"


	4. Critters in the Night

**Critters in the Night**

Lydia leaned back in her recliner and looked up at her ceiling. "Promise you won't laugh."

"What? Is it something funny?"

"Just promise."

"…mmkay. Whatever."

It took a few moments for Lydia to collect her thoughts. When she finally spoke, it was very soft, just loud enough for Beetlejuice to listen.

"I guess you say it started a few years ago. After leaving boarding school, I attended a local college for art and photography. While I was there, I met a boy."

"Oh great, boy troubles. Juno sent me here for this?" Beetlejuice's disgust made Lydia frown.

"You have no idea how hard this is for me…" Lydia's voice shook as she spoke. He fell silent again and continued to listen.

"It was what any college relationship should have been. We became good friends first, and then he asked me out. We did the dating thing for over two years. I don't know how he handled me, because I was still big into what you call the gothic stuff and was always dragging him to cemeteries and funerals to take photographs. I was never good with relationships, so I was shocked when he asked me to marry him. I told him I had to think about it. There were a lot of secrets I kept from him, including Barbara, Adam, and you. After a month of waiting, he told me that if I didn't give him an answer, he would leave me. I said to him that the only way I could marry him would be if I could tell him what I experienced. Its cliché, really, how he said I could tell him anything. So I sat him down one day and told him everything. He didn't believe me at first, but after bringing him to the house, he met the Maitlands and saw just how true it was. It terrified him and he left me. I tried to get him back, but every time I tried, he would only yell and call me horrible names…."Lydia's eyes began to fill with tears.

"A year went by, and I was heartbroken the whole time. I moved out of the house because the memories from everything were just too hard for me. Especially the memories of him running from me in fear and disgust. He was the first guy I really opened up to about anything, and he just ran out on me. But one day, he found me here at my apartment, and asked if we could get back together. He told me how sorry he was and that after a lot of thinking, he realized that it didn't matter and that he still wanted to marry me. At first I was a little skeptical, but I was also so overjoyed that I took him back with open arms. I failed to notice a big change in him. He started distancing himself with me, getting easily frustrated with me, especially because I wouldn't let him live with me. I told him I needed my own space and he got really angry. Then a few months ago, he started getting aggressive. At first he would just yell at me, but then he started to actually hurt me. At one point, he tried to rape me. I called the police and he was arrested. Unfortunately for me, he has a lot of money and influence in the area, so he didn't go to jail for what he did. I obviously ended the relationship then and there, but ever since then I've been receiving death threats and strange phone calls." The tears were freefalling down her face now.

"I changed my locks and phone number countless times. I can't afford to move out on my own and refuse to ask for help from Dad and Delia. The Maitlands only know so much, and I don't want their help anyway. I told you not to laugh because the worst part of this whole situation is that I am completely embarrassed with myself to letting my guard down and allowing someone to control my life like this."

The room was silent for what seemed like hours. Lydia was terrified about how Beetlejuice would respond. Would he laugh at her anyway? Would he be angry at her for being such a weak mortal?

"Is that why you were so upset yesterday?" It was all he said, but Lydia sensed genuine concern in his words.

"Yesterday…I was followed home by him and his friends." Her body tensed up immensely as she remembered the pain. "It was dark and cloudy. All I could see was the snow that was falling, and by the time I realized he was behind me, it was too late. His friends grabbed me and he tried to kiss me. The stench of alcohol was overpowering. I fought as hard as I could to get away, but when you're up against three guys who could be bodybuilders and one who is a baseball player, it's near impossible. He told me that he would kill me, and that by the time it came, I would beg for it…after everything else he planned for me. His friends then ripped apart my clothing…and…he took out a knife…" Lydia started to choke up. It was too hard to continue. It was why she could barely look at herself in her mirror. She undoubtedly had scars now where he sliced her up. The scent of blood filled her nose as she remembered seeing red snow around her. "The only reason I got away was because another woman appeared nearby, calling out one of the friends. They left me in the snow, telling me they would be back."

Lydia buried her face in her hands as she cried in utter defeat. Did she really just reveal all of that to Beetlejuice? The ghoul who almost killed her family? Did Juno know and make him show up to repent for what he did by helping her out?

A strange cold surrounded Lydia as she cried into her hands. She was so lost in emotion she wasn't sure if she was just reliving the previous day in her head, or if someone was holding her. She lifted her head to see and realized that she was being held in an embrace by Beetlejuice himself. She froze in shock. Uncertainty filled her as she tried to figure out how to react. Her emotions overcame her as another wave of tears poured from her eyes. She thrust her head into his shoulder and cried. Lydia felt a hand run through her hair and it comforted her. Regardless of what he had done to her in the past, she needed this. Right now, he was the only person she could talk to. That was all that mattered.


	5. Let It Fall

**Let it Fall**

Time passed by painfully slow. Lydia opened her eyes and found herself in her bed. Had she fallen asleep? She sat back up and looked around to see if Beetlejuice was still there. But there was no one. Had she dreamed everything? A rumbling in her stomach alerted her to the fact that she had not eaten in god knows how long. She got out of her bed and groggily strolled into her small kitchen to make some food. After brewing some coffee, she scrambled some eggs and toasted some bread. The young woman had no clue what time it was, but breakfast is good any time of day. The sizzling from the eggs as they cooked relieved some of her nerves. It reminded her of when her biological mother would cook for her when she was little. She smiled a little to herself at the happy memory.

The coffee was brewed to perfection, as always. The taste of cinnamon mixed with vanilla warmed her up inside. As she put the black mug on the table, she gazed at her tired reflection in the liquid. She looked shredded. And boy, did she feel that way.

"Nice to see you're awake." A male voice bellowed from across the room. Lydia jumped in her seat, glancing up to see Beetlejuice leaning in the archway between her kitchen and living area. His aura was completely different than she remembered.

_Guess I wasn't dreaming…_she thought to herself. Her eyes fell down and she noticed that she was still wearing the outfit he had appear on her. Then it dawned on her that she actually _did_ tell him everything. She immediately blushed in embarrassment all over again. To try and change the mood, she pointed to the still-warm frying pan on her stove.

"…want some food?"

"Nah. Not too interested in human food." Beetlejuice walked over to the table and took a seat across from Lydia, his eyes deep with seriousness. It worried Lydia. What was he planning to do? All she could do was look at her coffee again.

"Must think I'm more pathetic than before, huh?" She spoke quietly, like before.

"Not any more pathetic than any other mortal. Was definitely not expecting what you told me, though." She looked up at him and saw his face. Some strands of his yellow hair had fallen into his face. And if she couldn't see the sunken-black patches around his eyes and off-color skin, he could've passed as alive. It made her wonder if Barbara and Adam were going to look that way some day. Would she?

"I'm sorry I broke down like that. I guess I've held it all in for so long, it just flowed out." Her fingers traced along the top of her coffee mug.

"No need to worry, Lyds. I'll take care of that…thing…for you." His voice bothered her. It sounded different. It sounded not as if he was doing it to just get out of whatever Juno put him in. It sounded as if he wanted to do it of his free will. As if he _cared_. The thought haunted her mind. Could he be capable of caring like that?

"What is your plan? You're not going to kill Vincent are you?" Lydia actually wanted to hear him say he would. She wasn't sure if she would be safe otherwise. Something told her that it would be hard to hide from the man who fooled her. Her eyes fell upon Beetlejuice's, and he grinned wickedly from ear to ear.

"Ha! That's too easy. Besides, I don't think Juno would appreciate that. Unfortunately, I have to follow her rules for now."

"So…?"

"I think I'll have fun horrifying him, personally. Sounds like the kind of guy I can test out some new tricks on." Lydia reflected on this idea, remembering all he had done before. He was fully capable of scaring people into insanity. That idea could work. She couldn't help but laugh a little at the thought. "That's better. As pretty as you are miserable, laughter brings out your beauty." His statement made Lydia give him a doubletake. He only grinned and stood up. "So, can you tell me more about this Vincent and where I can find him?"

"He lives in a condo building downtown. He has a lot of money and his father owns a newspaper company."

"Really? What inspiration! That has my ghostly senses tingling!" Beetlejuice began to laugh with delight. Lydia felt her mouth form a small smile and she got up from her table to clean up from cooking.

"Would you do me a favor, Beetle-"

"Hey you know better than to say my name!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. How about BJ? Is that better?" Lydia asked while turning on the sink faucet to watch dishes. She heard his boot tap against the hard floor a few times.

"Yeah, I guess that'll work."

"Anyway, BJ, could you accompany me to the store?"

"What? Why?" It sounded like such a chore to him. Lydia looked at him, worry filling her face.

"Well considering what happened to me yesterday, I don't feel right walking around outside alone."

"Hmph. I guess if he shows up I'll get my work done sooner." Lydia passed by him as she walked into her living area and grabbed her winter coat. It was made of wool and completely black. It fit her form nicely and matched the boots and scarf she had. She felt eyes upon her and she turned to see Beetlejuice staring at her, similar to how he did the last night.

"Something wrong?" She asked this time, wondering what was making him look at her that way. He shook his head quickly and shrugged.

"Nothin'. Forgot you have to actually wear stuff to go outside. I don't miss that."

Lydia smiled and opened her front door.

"Make sure to behave when we are outside. Don't float around or twist your head around or turn into snakes, okay?"

"But Lyds!"

"Seriously. Like you said, you're under Juno's ruling right now. You wouldn't want her up here punishing you, would you?"

"Damn." His voice lowered, making Lydia chuckle.

"By the way, BJ. It's your turn."

"My turn for what?" he whined from behind her.

"Your turn to answer some of my questions."

"Aw man…" he grumbled.

It was very chilly outside. Big fluffy flakes of snow were falling all around the two as they walked through it. The sun was starting to set, making the sky glow a beautiful shade of deep pink behind the clouds. Lydia shoved her hands in her coat pockets, silently cursing for forgetting her gloves in her apartment. Beetlejuice was walking next to her, not looking too happy.

"So, my first question would have to be…why are you so disliked by Juno?" Lydia turned to see his face. He cringed a little and sighed.

"She and I don't see eye to eye. She makes everything out to be about paperwork and following rules. I hate rules. I like doing my own thing, my own way."

"I know that. But what did you do to get in so much trouble before? I mean, have you actually killed people? Barbara and Adam said you did some pretty horrible things."

"Meh, I did a long time ago."

"Oh…" For some reason, his confession surprised her. "Why?"

Bettlejuice huffed a little. "They didn't listen to me, that's why. I'd do my haunting and they would stay. Tried to exorcise me a few times, which pissed me off. So I scared them so much their hearts would stop."

The two crossed an empty street while Lydia pondered his abilities. The snow shimmered from the sunset as they walked.

"So you're powerful enough to do that?"

"Ha! You don't know the half of it. It's why everyone is afraid of me down there. Juno tries to control me, but I can tell she's scared I'll whip up something." He cackled at himself. Lydia's eyes widened as she thought of how Juno spoke about Beetlejuice to Barbara and Adam. It was certainly possible. It made her wonder what would be done to Vincent.

"Hmm I guess my next question is why your name is Be…well you know. Did you have a normal name when you were alive?" Beetlejuice stopped walking, catching Lydia off guard. She turned and looked at him. He was watching the snowfall above. "Did I say something wrong?"

"…of course I had a human name. The name I have now was given to me after I died." Obviously, this topic was one of the sensitive ones he didn't want to discuss. Lydia regretted bringing it up. As the snow fell around them, Lydia peered at Beetlejuice, feeling a thump in her chest again. He looked serene as he stared up at the velvety sky as it grew blacker. There was something about how the hair draped around his shoulders, how the jade in his eyes flickered in reflection of the snowflakes…

"You…don't have to tell me anything more about it if you don't want." She didn't want to create more tension. Her curiosity had gotten the best of her yet again. Beetlejuice gazed down at Lydia and grinned.

"It's not about that. I just like my current name, thasall. Much sexier, if you ask me!" He laughed and continued to walk, leaving Lydia feel some sort of pain for him. "Where's this store ya need to get to anyway? I'm getting tired!"

"Thought you couldn't get tired," Lydia said as she caught up to him. "Since you're dead and all." She never saw Barbara or Adam sleep whenever she was around.

"Eh, dead people get tired just like living people. It's all based on energy. I have energy like you have energy. And after a while, it gets drained. Especially after showing off my skills! Haha!" The two were finally nearing the small mart that Lydia needed to get to.

"Okay, we'll have to hold this convo for later. Let's get inside," Lydia hushed Beetlejuice as they walked into the store. The bright lights made Lydia realize that her companion would look very strange to everyone else. When she turned to warn him about this, she saw that a trench coat appeared around his body; a hood covering his head. All that could be seen was a few strands of his hair and the sparkle in his eyes. Lydia breathed a sigh of relief as she grabbed a basket. Bettlejuice snickered behind her.

"I'm not stupid, ya know. You need to chill out, Lyds."

"I know, I'm sorry."

The young woman shrugged and walked through the aisles, picking up various odds and ends. She didn't realize until earlier how little food she had in her apartment. And out of fear, she felt she needed to stock up. Beetlejuice kept silent as she shopped, which worried her a little. Maybe he was lost in thought. Maybe he was planning. Maybe he really was tired. She wasn't quite sure.

It wasn't until they reached the cashier line that he mentioned something in her ear. It was very low; so much so that Lydia almost asked him to repeat it, if she wasn't stricken with fear.

"I think your Vincey is in here following us."


	6. Teaching Lessons

**Teaching Lessons**

Lydia's face fell. The cashier asked if she was alright, and Lydia quickly rambled something about feeling sick, paid for her items, and quickly took her bags. _What are we going to do? If Vincent is here, he'll follow us! Beetlejuice can't do anything out in public like this! Am I going to die?_

Almost as if Beetlejuice could read her mind, he placed a hand on her shoulder, sending a bolt of electricity through her body from the sudden contact.

"No worries, Babes. I got this. Just walk outside." His voice was reassuring enough for her to make herself walk. The snow welcomed them once again as they stepped into the cold winter night. The sun was completely set by now, and only dim streetlamps lit the area. Her hands were shaking in terror as they walked some ways away from the store.

They were about halfway to her apartment when she heard a voice. It made her shudder through to her bones.

"Hey, Lydia! You get yourself a new piece of meat? Too bad for him, I'm the only one you want." The voice seared through her ears, making them burn. She wanted to run. She wanted to scream. But having Beetlejuice there made her feel more courage than usual. Instead of running, she turned and faced her ex-lover.

"I will never want you ever again, Vincent." Her voice was stern, trying to cover the utter terror she felt. Beetlejuice was still covered in his hooded trench coat, standing beside her. She couldn't tell what he was thinking or planning to do. But Vincent was really there and approaching the two fast. He didn't seem as drunk as he did the previous day, but his face beamed with anger and malice. His green eyes seemed to be in ablaze. She could barely recognize him as the man she fell in love with so many years before. His brown hair was short and messy and his clothing was wrinkled. It looked as though he had just gotten out of bed. She could smell the alcohol again and it made her feel woozy. Her knees began to buckle, but a hand touched her back. Beetlejuice held her in place, almost protectively. Lydia couldn't take her eyes off of Vincent as he grew closer. The wounds he inflicted the day before began to throb underneath her clothing.

"You bitch, I'm the best thing you'll ever have. Didn't I teach you that last night? Or do I have to teach you again?" Lydia's breathing became shallow as she waited what he planned to do to her. He drew his hand out to slap her across the face. Lydia closed her eyes and got ready to duck when heard him grunt. She opened her eyes to see Vincent struggling against Beetlejuice's grip on his wrist, inches away from Lydia's face.

"You don't want to do that." Beetlejuice's voice was darker than Lydia remembered.

"What the hell, man? Let go of me!" Vincent tried to swing his other hand at Beetlejuice's stomach, but his hand was caught by Beetlejuice's free one.

"You want me to let you go? Now that wouldn't be fun. I want to enjoy this." Lydia took a few steps back as Vincent tried to break away.

"You freak! Let me go! I'm gonna kill you and that bitch!" Beetlejuice's hold was so strong, Vincent couldn't budge. Lydia's eyes widened slowly as a glow came from inside Beetlejuice's hood. A strange green huge emanated around his body and a growl echoed around them in the snow. She looked around and saw that no one else was around.

"No one calls Lydia a bitch." Lydia froze in place from what Beetlejuice said. Then, she watched as Vincent's face twisted in fear as he stared helpless into Beetlejuice's hood. Beetlejuice then threw him down into the snow. Vincent screamed as he scrambled to his feet and ran off. Lydia's mouth was wide open. The glow receded and Beetlejuice lowered the hood, revealing his normal, cackling self. "Was that great or what! God, I am a genius!" he slapped his knee in triumph. "Guess that's that. I don't think he'll be bothering you again. It's a shame too, I was very toned down."

"What…did you DO to him?" Lydia asked as Beetlejuice calmed down.

"Oh nothing too terrible. Just something very personal for good old Vincey. You'd prolly not want to know the details."

Lydia thought a moment and nodded. She was just fine NOT knowing the details.

"I guess we should walk back home…" Lydia turned and heard Beetlejuice growl in irritation. "What is it?"

"I should've gone back by now. What the hell, Juno?" Beetlejuice cried out into the snow. "That was your issue, wasn't it? I did what I was supposed to! She's supposed to come here and get me."

Lydia shrugged. It was too cold outside to think about such things at the moment.

"Well can we please worry about this in my apartment? I'm freezing and still experiencing shock here."

"Yeah…guess so. You look like a popsicle anyways, ha." Beetlejuice snickered and snapped his fingers. Within an instant, Lydia was back in her apartment. THAT was convenient. "Better, Babes?" Beetlejuice threw off his trench coat onto one of her chairs and levitated into the air, playing with his finger nails and yawning. Lydia could only shrug and she went into the kitchen to put her food away.

"Well, since it seems that Juno is probably going to be a while getting to you, how about you answer some more questions?" She called out from the kitchen. Beetlejuice floated into the room and sped up so close that his face was only an inch or two away from hers.

"What do _I_ get out of it?" He whispered, making the hair at back of her neck stand. Lydia felt herself blush from his question and she pushed him from her.

"Whatever you're thinking, it's a definite no." She took a deep breath and got her bearings. "What you get is me not sending you back myself."


	7. Drops of the Past

**Drops of the Past**

Beetlejuice shook his head and laughed at her blushing.

"Fine. Whatcha want to know?" Lydia walked into the living area and sat down on her small loveseat of a couch. Beetlejuice floated around her and crossed his arms. "Well?"

"What were you like when you were alive? I'm really curious." She saw Beetlejuice's face twist into a sort of anguish. "If that question is too much, I understand. I'm just trying to get a sense of you."

Beetlejuice raised an eyebrow and laughed a little. "You really want to know?"

"Yes, I really want to know."

Beetlejuice landed on the floor and walked to the couch, sitting next to Lydia. She watched him as he leaned back, closing his eyes as if in deep thought. After a few moments of silence, he started to talk.

"Well, I was pretty much the same as I am now, just without the cool powers and the whole lack of the need to breathe and such. I grew up in a small village in Europe where farming was your life. I was a farmhand for my father. I would work in the fields during almost all daylight hours and man, was it hard work! Anyway, I remember I told you I lived through the black plague, right? Well, the sucky part of that time was that I had the pleasure of watching my family die off. My mother was the first to go. She was a sickly woman with illnesses that weakened her body a lot back then. It took my younger sister next. She was only ten. By the time my father died from it, most of the village was killed off. I never figured out how I survived. Because I did survive, the few other survivors blamed me for their town dying out."

"Why would they do that?"

"Most likely because I became a thief and a 'troublemaker' as Juno calls me. I was desperate because we have no money to buy food or medicine for my mother and sister before they died. When my father died, I had nothing and would rob anyone I could. I was thrown out of my village some time after that and wandered around the desolate areas that the plague hit." Beetlejuice sighed deeply, as if getting very heavy off of his chest. Lydia just watched him for a moment, seeing a sad gleam in his eyes.

"How did you die?"

"Starvation. Sounds to simple for a ghoul of my stature, don'cha think?" Beetlejuice responded solemnly. "But that was the way of it back then. There was no food, and whatever was left, was infected or rotten."

"Wow…I'm so sorry." Lydia wasn't sure how to respond to such a sad story.

"Ha! Don't be. I prefer bein' dead. I couldn't do half the stuff I can now." Lydia studied Beetlejuice's facial expression as he turned and grinned at her. Her heart thumped again. He looked almost boyish as he grinned at her.

"So…" She couldn't help but ask. "You didn't have any kind of family of your own?" Beetlejuice was quiet. He turned away from her and gazed across the room.

"Not really. There was a woman, but she died in the earlier waves of the plague. Didn't find anyone else after her…" His tone sounded very sad. Lydia frowned. "Bah, I don't like the idea of being tied down, anyway. Less hassle!"

"Hey! You were gonna make me marry you!" Lydia huffed angrily. Beetlejuice laughed and shook his hands at her.

"That was just a silly detail in getting me out, remember? You didn't have to take it so seriously!"

Lydia was going to snap back at him, but then remembered something. Her face grew long.

"BJ, the ring you were going to put on me that day…did that belong to the woman who died?"Beetlejuice pulled back.

"…Yeah, I guess you could say that. Haven't thought about that in centuries. Lost that ring when the sandworm gobbled me up. Shame, too. Cost me all my money." He sighed, leaning his head back again.

Lydia frowned, trying to imagine the anguish Beetlejuice had gone through while alive. No wonder he became as twisted as he is as a ghost. She glanced over at him, about to ask another question, but heard slight snoring coming from him. _He fell asleep?_ She watched as his 'breathing' was shallow and slow. The light from the kitchen shined over his face, making his skin seemingly reflective in it. Lydia carefully stood from her couch and grabbed a small blanket off of a chair, placing it over Beetlejuice as he slept. As she pulled up over his shoulder, she felt a tug at her chest while looking at him. _He's kind of sweet like this…_she thought. She moved away from him to go into her bedroom, since she also felt really drowsy, when she felt a hand grab her wrist.

"Don't leave, Letia. It's so lonely here…" His voice was somber, as if he was dreaming something sad. Lydia stared at him, letting what he said sink in.

_Letia? Who is that?_

His hand tugged her towards him, pulling her frail body on top of his. His arms wrapped around her tightly as his head nestled into the crook of her neck. "Your lavender flowers smell so sweet…" His muffled voice vibrated against Lydia's skin, making her tremble. She wanted to move, but she was stuck in his grip. And somehow, it felt comforting to her. Without much of a struggle, she decided against fighting his hold on her. She laid her head on the back of the couch next to his and closed her eyes, letting sleep enter her. She'd ask him about Letia later. For now, she'd let him dream.


	8. Word to the Wise

**Word to the Wise**

A loud shattering in surround sound. A strong force of wind. Cold air.

Lydia opened her eyes, expecting to see Beetlejuice underneath her. Instead, she saw that she was alone on the couch. Her front door was slightly open, which worried her. Maybe he actually opened it for once and was outside? She grabbed her coat and took a step out to watch the snow fall. Fresh footsteps that seemed to match Beetlejuice's boots were in the snow, leading out into the streets. She sighed, wondering if seeing her on him had freaked him out. A chuckle from around a corner caught her attention. _You're not gonna scare me that way, Beetlejuice!_ She grinned a little, not playing into his little game.

"Come out! I heard you! You can't sneak up on me!" But the silhouette that jumped out at her was not one of Beetlejuice. A scream came from her when she recognized is as one of Vincent's friends that held her down before. An evil smile was on his brawny face as he held up a knife and pounced on her. Lydia cried out as she felt something pierce through her arm. Adrenaline filled her body as she sprinted towards her bedroom.

She slammed her bedroom door and locked it. Her eyes were frantic as they looked around her room for anything heavy enough to push at her door to keep it shut. _Where's Beetlejuice?_ Lydia's head screamed inside as she threw herself at the door, feeling it being beaten on the other side. She finally looked down and pulled out the knife that protruded from her arm. Blood ran down her fingers and dripped onto her carpet, staining the light purple fabric with deep shades of crimson.

"I don't know what you did to Vince, you fucking whore, but you're gonna die for it!" A deep voice bellowed from the other side of her door. Sweat poured down her face as she tried to keep her weight against the door, knowing she wasn't strong enough to stay there.

"Lyds!" Beetlejuice's voice filled the room. But it was muffled.

"BJ! Where are you?" Lydia started to try in terror as splinters popped out from the door. The wood was cracking. One dug itself into her hand and she bit her lip to stop from whimpering.

"Lydia! The mirror!" His voice rang in her ears as she glanced over at the mirror on her dresser. The door was growing weaker by the second. Would she have enough time to get to the mirror? Well, either way she had only seconds to decide, since the door gave way. She ran towards her mirror as one of the men rammed through the door, spilling it onto the door and thrusting another knife towards her. She reached for the mirror, where she could see Beetlejuice holding a hand out. "Say my name!"

"Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!" Lydia screamed out as she felt a stinging pain in her side. Then everything spun around her, turning everything white and making her feel like vomiting.

She felt like she was on a ferris wheel that wouldn't stop. Everything was spinning so fast, it was like a blur. Then everything phased from white into deep shades of red as Lydia lost her balance and fell over.

When she opened her eyes, all she could see were Beetlejuice's jade eyes filled with concern. Something was terribly wrong. "B…J…?" She whispered as searing pain filled every fiber of her being. Her side felt like it has been torn out.

"Shh. Don't look. There's so much blood…Stay still…" Beetlejuice was holding her tightly. His stripes were stained with what seemed like splatters of red paint.

"Wha….t….happ…ened…."Lydia was crying now, forcing words to come out. "Whe…re…we..re…you…."

"Shh, will ya? I can't help you if you're talking!" Bettlejuice yelled at her. Lydia cried harder from the shock of everything, and she could see the pain in his eyes as he gazed down at her. She felt her body being lowered onto a cold, flat surface as Beetlejuice changed positions and raised his bloody hands over her stomach. "Now just stay still. I'm gonna heal ya as best I can."

Lydia shook as the pain around her stomach and side throbbed throughout her body. Her arm felt like it was sleeping; every movement feeling like needles stabbing into her. She tried to concentrate on what Beetlejuice was doing to take her mind off the pain. His hands began to glow a green color, similar to the glow that came from his hood when he scared away Vincent. Slowly, the pain began to subside. Muffled noises of chattering and shuffling papers mixed with the ringing in her ears that had to have come from travelling between worlds. Was that what she did? Was she in the underworld? A strange scent of cigarette smoke flowed through her nose, but the shock she felt from her attack and the travel was taking over her thoughts. The pain felt like it was melting away from her body, and the glow emanating from Beetlejuice's hand looked so pretty. His eyes were so intense…almost angelic to her sight. He looked almost human. Almost _alive._

"Beetle…"Lydia began to whisper before losing consciousness.

A loud slamming noise woke her up. She tried to sit up and held a sharp pain in her head.

"Easy there, Lyds. I healed you mostly, but you're still a bit wounded. Don't move too fast. I'll get that bastard." Beetlejuice growled from beside her.

"Where am I?" Lydia coughed as the smoke smell grew more intense. She could taste it now.

"You're in my office," an elderly woman's voice replied, with a hint of irritation to it. "And I don't appreciate that you brought her here, Geuse. So much paperwork will have to be done, and I am a very busy ghoul." Lydia peered across from her to see a short woman who looked to be in her mid 70s, with a long trailed a smoke around her head, leading from a horizontal slit across her neck. Her eyes were sunken in and her hair was a very faded shade of grey. She was wearing a grey business suit and held a cigarette in her wrinkled fingers.

"Are you Juno?" Lydia pondered aloud. She could feel the tension between the woman and Beetlejuice, and figured that it had to be her.

"Bingo." The woman said as she approached the young woman.

"Look, Juno, I had to bring her here, otherwise she would've been, well, you know." Bettlejuice grumbled.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know that. I'm no dummy. You have to make everything so damn complicated for me." She was leering at Beetlejuice as if scolding a child. Lydia could see the anger in his eyes. "Now let me take a look at you." Lydia turned to the ghoul caseworker and watched her as she unwrapped bandaging and inspected the wounds. She had a gash down her arm, but it looked as though it was mostly healed. Juno proceeded to lift up Lydia's shirt and pull off the bandaging around her stomach. The wound there was still bleeding a little, and it looked as though the cut was really deep. Just how bad was she injured? "Not bad, Geuse. I'm actually impressed. Nice to see you do something for someone else, for once."

Beetlejuice was silent, as was Lydia. What do you say to a ghoul like Juno, who's top dog and knows pretty much anything and everything about the world of the dead?

"Woulda' healed all the way if I was fully charged." He finally mumbled to himself, and Lydia caught a tad bit of guilt in his voice.

"That's not my fault. You brought that upon yourself with all the trouble you cause around here and among the living." The squabble between the two of them reminded Lydia of a bickering mother and son. It made her want to laugh, if she wasn't terrified of the whole situation.

"If you hadn't waited so damn long to get me, this wouldn't have even happened!" Beetlejuice growled. Juno looked at him sternly, which frightened Lydia. From what Barbara and Adam told her in the past, Juno was not one to be messed with. Before any more heat could be added to the fight, Lydia decided to intervene.

"Is that why you weren't at the apartment?" She asked, turning and looking at him. His face turned more pale (or at least it looked like it did, if it were possible) and a bit sheepish.

"He wasn't at your apartment because I summoned him here to have a discussion. He broke a rule."

"What rule?"

"Telling you about my life before death, sotaspeak." Beetlejuice said. "I'm not supposed to say anything. _Apparently_ it's_ taboo._"

"It IS taboo, Geuse. And I wouldn't mock it. When people die, it's their own business what happened in life. You don't share it with living beings. It creates conflicts."

"Oh…weren't you supposed to pick him up after he helped me?" Lydia was still confused about the sharing of information, but the mystery around why Beetlejuice wasn't brought back because of his completed 'mission' worried her more. Juno only sighed and puffed from her cigarette, causing more smoke to seep from her neck.

"That's an entirely different matter that I will not discuss at this time. For now, he will stay with you." Juno shrugged and glared at Beetlejuice. "And I suggest you do something about that man who attacked her. If he figures out what happened, we will have some serious issues." Lydia glanced over at Beetlejuice as he twiddled his thumbs around each other. He seemed torn with something.

"I don't get it. Is he not done helping me? Will something worse happen?" The raven-haired mortal turned back to Juno as the elderly ghoul faded away into nothingness. "BJ, could you please tell me what's going on?"

"Later, Babes. Need to get you outta here first."


	9. Vulnerabilities

**Vulnerabilities**

She somehow felt safe in his dead, yet strong arms. They seemed weightless as he carried her to the land of the living. Her eyes stayed closed, in fear of reliving the spinning sensation from earlier. Beetlejuice's chest felt soft as Lydia buried her head against it. There was a sense of longing as part of her hoped for a heartbeat, which in reality was nonexistent.

When they returned to her apartment, Lydia was devastated by the disaster left behind by her attacker. Everything was destroyed. Her electronics were smashed, her broken dishes were scattered along the floors, and her bedroom was trashed. What upset her most was the strong scent of blood. Her own blood. There was a thin trail of it leading from the front door into her bedroom. From her position in Beetlejuice's arms, she could see a large red pool of it by her bed. Every hair on her body stood on end as she replayed what happened in her mind.

Yellow hair grazed her forehead and she glanced up at Beetlejuice, troubled by the fact that he looked as though he was holding back tears. His eyes were practically bulging out of his sunken sockets.

"I'm going to tear every limb from that human's body and shove them so far up Vincent's ass, he will be puking bones!" Beetlejuice could hardly contain himself. Lydia slowly reached a hand up to his cold cheek.

"BJ…calm down…" She whispered in hopes of him listening. His cheek was surprisingly smooth to her touch. His jaw clenched up tightly underneath her fingers. She could tell that the rest of him was responding because his muscles were shaking underneath her.

"It's happening again, and I'm still powerless to do anything…" He sounded like a child that lost something precious. Lydia swirled a thumb along the bone in his jaw, wishing she could do something to help him. She never imagined that she would see Beetlejuice in so much anguish.

"BJ, could you let me down?" Lydia was also worried about being dropped. She had been beaten down enough, and the prospect of falling again didn't entice her one bit. After a moment, he lowered her body slowly and held her until she could balance on her feet. She turned and looked at him. He was so vulnerable right now…did something happen between him and Juno earlier? Her eyes panned the living area, at all the destruction. How was she going to get the bloodstains out of her carpets?

Lydia wobbled over to her loveseat, which was slashed apart. She fell onto it regardless and began to sob. "BJ…I am so sorry I have put you through all this. This is all my fault!" Lydia sniffled while tears rolled down her cheeks. Her arm was throbbing as she pulled it across her lap and held it at her chest. To top it all off, her heart was racing and she wasn't sure why. Chock it up to the stress…

"Lyds…it's not your fault. It's mine for not being here to help you in the first place. I shouldn't have told you about my past. I should've been here to protect you. It's my fault you got hurt…" His voice was sullen. Lydia frowned at just how vulnerable he was.

_Is he feeling that guilty? _Lydia thought. _N..no…he has to help me. It's not like he really wants to. I'm just going crazy right now…_

He walked over to the loveseat and sat down next to her. One of his hands took her wounded arm and his finger traced along the scar that was forming around the wound. "It's my fault I couldn't heal you all the way…"

"I didn't even know you could heal people. " His fingernail tickled her skin. It soothed her, making her heart race even more. "But, why couldn't you fully heal me like you say?"

"I've had some of my powers stripped from me. I'm a lot more powerful than you can imagine, heh… But because of all the crap I've done, I've had my power taken away little by little." Lydia's curiosity was taking her over again. As her eyes followed his finger, she couldn't help but want to know more.

"BJ…before all this happened…you were sleeping…you called me Letia. I know you might get in trouble for this, but I'd really like to know who that is." Beetlejuice's finger stopped moving at her wrist.

"Letia…was the woman I loved." She could hear the pain behind his words and it broke her heart inside. It was obviously a very bad subject to talk about right now. He seemed to be utterly exhausted. As she pondered that, she realized that she was just as tired. Feeling light-headed, she leaned against his arm.

"Thanks for patching me up, BJ," she said softly. Her dark eyes rose to look at his face. She forced a weak smile as a thankful gesture to the poltergeist. He turned his head and gazed down at her, pushing his eyebrows downwards as he spoke.

"I'll keep an eye out for intruders while you recover. You should go to your room and get into bed."

"I…I don't want to be alone. Plus, I think the smell of blood in there will make me sick." Her look fell down to her knees in embarrassment for sounding so weak in front of him. She felt his arm wrap around her back, pulling her closer to him.

"You know what? I'm too tired to argue with ya." He snapped his fingers and a blanket appeared. He wrapped it around Lydia and pushed her along the couch, making sure not to hurt her side. "I'll stay right here, okay? Just don't tell anyone. Don't need my reputation getting smudged for ya know…helping out…you owe me for this, by the way…"

"I'm not gonna marry you, if that's what you'll ask for." Lydia chuckled at her remark and tugged on the blanket to get warm. She couldn't quite figure out what made Beetlejuice change so drastically, but she kind of liked him this way. He wasn't too bad at being nice. As she drifted off into sleep, she felt a cool hand move some hair along her face. She smiled.

"_You look like somebody I can relate to. Maybe you could help me get out of here. I gotta tell you, this death thing…it's creepy. Here's my problem. I've got friends on the outside I said I'd meet. I have to be there in person…so could you help me get out of here?"_

"_I want to get in."_

"_Why? Oh, well you've probably got your reasons, but I can't do anything from here. If you could get me out, maybe we could talk….but to do that you've got to say my name three times."_

"_What's your name?"_

"…_I can't tell you."_

"_Why not?"_

"_If I tell you, you'll tell your friends, they'll call me all the time, then I've got to go to shopping centers or openings, sign autographs, that shit. It makes my life hell, okay? A living hell. But maybe if you have a pen…oh, I know! Do you play charades?"_

"…_yeah."_

"_Good! Here we go. Ready?" _

"_First word, two syllables."_

"_Beetle."_

"_Got it. Now two."_

"_Breakfast? Orange? Orange beetle? Beetle fruit? Beetle breakfast? Beetle drink? Beetle…juice?"_

"_That's it!"_

"_Your name is Beetlejuice?"_

"_You said it twice. Just once more, come on…"_

"Beetlejuice…"

It was quiet when Lydia awoke. And very warm. Her head felt very sore as she lifted it from the couch pillow. One of her hands pulled back her messy hair, becoming moist from sweat. A stinging pain at her side reminded her of what happened the night before, making her frown as she looked around the room for Beetlejuice. Her eyes fell to her carpet and grew large when he noticed that there was no blood. She slowly moved off of the couch, groaning from feeling stiff. Her legs were still a bit wobbly, but her balance was much better. They led her towards her room to inspect it. "BJ? You in here?"

There was no blood in her bedroom anymore, either. _Did he clean that up for me?_ It was then she heard a faint sound of running water. As she turned her gaze to her bathroom, she saw small clouds of green steam escape under the door. Her mouth opened slightly as it dawned…_He's…showering? _Her uninjured hand grabbed her mouth to stop her from making any noise in shock. Something had definitely changed in the last few hours, and Lydia couldn't tell if it relieved or terrified her. Her stomach began to rumble, shift her attention to hunger. A small smile formed on her lips as she made her way to her kitchen, to see if any cookware was intact enough to make some food.

Her pans luckily were alright. Most of her plates had to be thrown away, though, which upset her because the set came from her stepmother. And they were actually decent. She shrugged to herself as she fried up some bacon and eggs that she had bought before. By the time it was all cooked, she heard the shower turn off. Would Beetlejuice look any different? She didn't think ghosts _could_ wash themselves. It was something she never thought to ask Adam or Barbara since she figured they didn't need to do any of that. She didn't know really anything about the afterlife, after all.

She grumbled while she sat down in a chair that wasn't completely broken. The food smelled so delicious it made her stomach growl. As she punctured some of her egg with a fork, she heard footsteps. Her face lifted and she froze at the sight before her.

All he wore was one of her dark blue towels, wrapped around his midsection. Steam rolled off his cream-colored skin and his hair draped down the sides of his face and shoulders. Her eyes followed droplets of warm water as they rolled down his chest, and she took note of how well-sculpted he was around his chest and upper arms. He was definitely more emaciated than she remembered. Her eyes averted watching the water roll down any further and she gazed back up at his face. His jade eyes were glowing in between the lighter circles around them. He didn't look remotely like the Beetlejuice she knew. He was…_beautiful_. Lydia was so lost in the sight of him; she didn't realize that she had dropped her fork.

"Jeez, Lyds. You really need to get a grip, ahhh!" Beetlejuice chuckled lightly as he stretched out his arms and yawned. Lydia blushed and picked her fork back up, coughing. Seemed like he was back to his usual self.

"Well…it's strange thinking ghosts can shower!" Lydia shoved some food in her mouth and tried to calm herself down. Her heart was pounding! Beetlejuice laughed and pulled over a chair to the dented table and sat down. He rested his elbows on the tilted surface and rested his head, watching her.

"Of course we can. I'm just lazy and never saw much of a point to it after being dead." Beetlejuice huffed and pulled some of his wet hair behind an ear.

"What made you change your mind?" Lydia asked while leaning back in her chair slightly. If he had blood flowing, she could have pictured him blushing that moment. He flashed his gleaming teeth in a grin and shrugged his bare shoulders.

"After yesterday, well…I felt like I needed to be cleaned off…" He turned his head and Lydia followed his gaze into the living area. She saw his striped suit sprawled across a broken end table. She also saw that it was covered in dried blood.

"Oh…sorry about that…"Lydia frowned, staring back down at her half-full plate.

"Nah! Issok. I needed a change of wardrobe anyway!"

"So…I take it you were the one who cleaned up the…mess…on the floors?" Lydia picked up a strip of bacon and took a bite, savoring the salty taste of it as she waited for his answer. He nodded.

"Yep. Used the last of my energy last night to do that. Mostly because it was actually grossing ME out, and that's pretty hard to do, ya know?"

_He seems like he's back to normal, now…_

"Um…so…why…why do you look like that?" Lydia really should smack herself from the curiosity that plagued her about Beetlejuice. She was only going to get them both into more trouble.

"I figure I wouldn't tempt you too much, seeing your condition. Why, do you want me au natural?" Beetlejuice snickered at his teasing. He reached down for the towel and Lydia thrust her arms out and shook them.

"No, no, no! That's…not what I meant," she pulled her arms back, wincing at her arm, forgetting for an instant that it still hurt. His smirk lingered as he arched an eyebrow.

"Then what about it?"

"It's been bothering me since you came back…but…well…" She grew nervous and jittery.

"Spit it out, Lyds!"

"Okay! Well…You seem much...younger…than I remember." Lydia was too scared to see Beetlejuice and wanted to take back the question. If he couldn't tell her about his past, then maybe this was taboo too. Damn her curiosity!

"Ha…well..."Beetlejuice stood up and walked over to Lydia, leaning down and placing his mouth close to her ear, making her blush furiously. "…it's…" Lydia's heart was throbbing within her chest from the intensity of his closeness to her. "…a…secret!" Beetlejuice threw himself up into the air and laughed heartily as Lydia gasped.

"You are such a jerk!" She screamed at the ghost. "Damnit!" His laughter filled the room, and Lydia found that she was unable to stay angry with him.

"Ya know ya love me, Lyds. You're just in denial! Hahahaha!" Bettlejuice held himself, hunching in the air and laughing wildly. Lydia only shook her head and started to laugh a little herself.

"I don't know what I'll do with you, BJ." _It's amazing that he's only been here a few days, and I feel like something inside me has been filled…_Lydia thought to herself. _I don't understand this at all…_


	10. Just a Little Prick

**Just a Little Prick**

After the fiasco had passed, Lydia decided that she needed a bath. She could smell the dried blood on her clothing and she was still covered in her sweat from sleep. As she got out of her chair, she felt dizzy. _Damnit…_she thought as she held onto the table end to catch her breath. Beetlejuice lowered himself to the floor and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"Don'cha listen to me, Babes? I told you yesterday not to push yourself. You won't get back to normal otherwise."

"Thanks for pointing out…the obvious, BJ," Lydia grumbled.

"Heh, no prob!" He scoffed. "What're you in such a rush for, anyway?"

"I feel disgusting. I need a bath. It may help my side if I soak for a while…nnghh.." Lydia forced herself to start walking. Being injured really put her in an annoyed state of mind.

"Bah! That's easy!" Beetlejuice shot her his infamous grin, which meant he was up to something. Before she could protest any idea he had, she felt him lift her up into his arms. He then carried her through the rooms of her apartment towards the bathroom. Lydia caught a whiff of her vanilla and lavender soap from his skin, and she blushed.

"Is this really necessary?" Lydia scowled as Beetlejuice sat her down on her toilet seat cover and turned on the tub water. She crossed her arms, wincing slightly. "I'm not THAT hurt anymore, you told me that, remember?"

"I can't afford to have you busted up any more. Juno will have my head…yech…" The ghost shuddered at whatever he was thinking, making Lydia sigh. Beetlejuice grabbed a bottle of purple liquid that was on the sink and looked at it. "This what you use for bathing, right? Says bubbles on it…"

Lydia let out a snort.

"Of course. You were able to shower just fine, but can't comprehend bathsoap?"

"Hey! I just used whatever I saw!" The ghost retorted while reading the label some. "…Bubblebath…so weird…." He sighed and poured the liquid into the tub. The sweet scent of lavender overwhelmed the room. Beetlejuice seemed to freeze in place. Lydia's eyes widened as almost half the bottle mixed with the hot water.

"Hey hey hey! Stop! I don't need THAT much!" Beetlejuice jolted from whatever as bothering him and pulled away the bottle. Light purple suds started to form, clouding the hot water filling beneath.

"Now you'll smell extra clean! Ha!" Beetlejuice slapped his thigh as Lydia stood up slowly.

"You're getting on my nerves. Now get out!" She cried out, pointing out the door. Bettlejuice frowned.

"You sure you don't need help getting out of your clothes?" Lydia became beat red.

"How about you go FIND some clothes!" She snarled back at him as he stared down at the towel still wrapped around his waist.

"Well _someone_ got up on the wrong side of the furniture, sheesh!" Beetlejuice said in defeat as he casually walked past the young woman. Lydia glared at him as he left the bathroom and shit the door, locking it.

_At least one door in this apartment still works,_ she thought as she started to pull off her shirt. Her reflection in her mirror revealed to her the extent of her side injury. It looked as though the stabbing just missed any vital organs in the area, which made her feel very lucky. The bleeding from before had stopped and a scar was beginning to form. Lydia lightly traced the cut with her finger, wincing at the tender flesh. _It sucks being this easily hurt…_She unbuckled the belt along her jeans and slowly pushed them down, cringing as she bent over.

"Damn, that hurt!" She growled under her breath as she tossed the dirty clothing underneath her sink.

"Babes, you _sure_ you don't need help?" Beetlejuice's voice called from behind the door as Lydia turned off the tub water and slowly bent over to step into the tub.

"I'm just fine, you pervert! Just…guard the door or something…ugh…" Lydia replied, wincing.

"Hey, I'm not your dog! You can't boss me around like that!" Beetlejuice retorted. Lydia closed her eyes and lifted her leg, whimpering in pain to herself. "You listening to me? Hello-!" Beetlejuice phased himself through the door just as Lydia started to slip, feeling nauseas from the pain.

His arms caught her before she hit the floor with an 'oof' from both of them. "You really aren't feelin' good, are ya?" he said softly as he pulled her back to her feet. Lydia's eyes burst open and she screamed, trying to cover herself and tearing up from pain. "Will ya stop that? It's not a big deal. Let me help you into the tub before you cause some real damage to both of us. It's not like you had just a little prick from a needle. You were stabbed pretty badly and you need to take it easy!" He sneered as he lifted her light body and slowly placed her into the hot water. Lydia didn't have enough mental strength to barrage him with curses, but she silently listed a few in her mind before letting the hot water ease her.

The water stung a little at her side and arm at first, but it made the rest of her body feel great. It had been too long since she last soaked in a bath. For a moment, she forgot that Beetlejuice was still in the room with her. "Better?" Lydia looked over at Beetlejuice and saw that he was wearing clothing finally. He had on a plain pair of black pants with a loose white shirt. His hair was dry and looked a little fluffy. Black and purple striped socks covered his feet. They reminded Lydia of a dress she had when she was younger. She wanted to say something to get him out, but gave up. Having him there made he feel more at ease. Thank god for all those bubbles!

"Yes, lots…" she said, rubbing her thighs with her hands underneath the water. "Thanks…for helping me. Guess I didn't realize just how bad off I really am."

"You should seriously consider yourself lucky that I'm around right now. You would've cracked your head open and Juno would've killed me all over again." The ghoulish man shook his head and sat down on the toilet seat cover. "You're not gonna kick me out again?"

"Eh…too tired to try. I guess it _really_ doesn't matter in the end. You could have been using some ghost power to watch me undress through the door anyway."

"Hahaha, if only. I can do some pretty sweet shit, but I don't have that kind of power." He scratched his chin as he spoke. "Should see if that can be a skill I can learn, though…"

"Ugh, you're terrible." Lydia reached over for her shampoo and squeezed some of it into her palm. As she ran it through her black hair, she began to think. Why was he still with her anyway? Did he actually have to kill Vincent in order to keep her safe? Was that what Juno had to talk to him about, outside of the rule breaking? He seemed so bothered before leaving her office, it worried Lydia. " Um, BJ?"

"What?"

"Where did you get your BJ name?" Lydia blurted out the question as she scratched against her scalp. "You can tell me that, right? You got it after you died, so it doesn't count towards the rule Juno mentioned."

"I'm not sure, actually." His voice was low. Was this another touchy subject? Lydia pooled some water and poured it over her head, shutting her eyes tightly. "Hmm…I guess it's not against any rules."

"So…?"

"Remember I told you how I'm really powerful?"

"Mhmm." She poured more water over her head, relishing how nice it felt.

"It comes from the soul. Some people get abilities and special powers when they die."

"Like how you healed me?"

"Yeah, sorta like that. Anyway, most people keep their names when they die. But some ghosts are so powerful they get special names. It's so they can't freelance themselves and destroy everything."

"Is that why you can't say it yourself?"

"Pretty much. If I said my own name, I'm told bad shit happens. Not that I'm worried about other people, but I dunno if something would happen to me, so I never risked it."

"Ah, I see." Lydia sighed as she ran her fingers through her wet hair, trying to detangle some knots.

"I got my new name from a star in the Orion constellation. It's one of the brightest stars, which reflects on just how amazing I am with my powers, hehe." Lydia looked at Beetlejuice as he grinned at himself.

"That's really cool. I wonder if I'll get a cool name when I die." Beetlejuice looked at her.

"Why? Yer name's just fine as is." Lydia shrugged. "By the way…I know you didn't wanna talk about it, but I'm curious."

"What is it, BJ?"

"Way back when, when we first met and you said you wanted to cross over…why did you?" Beetlejuice looked her over as she tried to think back to then.

"Back then, I didn't really like living; I guess that's the simplest answer."

"Well, I can see why you'd wanna off yerself, with Chuck and that Delia woman…blech!" Lydia glared at him for a moment before smiling a little. True, she didn't care for her stepmother, but the woman wasn't a total nutcase…all the time. "But you have your whole life and crap ahead of you, why die so soon?" Lydia sighed and laid her head at the back of the tub, staring up at the ceiling.

"I dunno…I've always felt like I don't fit in the world. Like no one understands me for who I am. Barbara and Adam were the first people to accept me, and they're dead. So naturally, I assume that I must fit better dead than alive. After Vincent, I felt more alone than I ever did. And I did try to kill myself a few times, but for some reason, I would stop myself…"

"Bein' dead isn't all it's cracked up to be. I would've liked to stay above ground a few more years, as annoying as bodily functions and hygiene are." Lydia felt a little bad for him, knowing that he died without a choice.

"Did you ever try to find your family after you died?" Lydia asked. Beetlejuice as silent for a moment, making Lydia turn her head and look at him.

"I think I did, in the beginning. But the problem with the underworld is that it's bigger than the living world. It could take eons to find people, depending on where, when, and how they died. I gave up after some time and decided I'd be better off on my own."

"You didn't even try to find Letia?" Beetlejuice was silent again. Lydia started to feel uneasy.

"…I tried. Tried the hardest looking for her. Couldn't find her. Asked Juno once long ago how I could find her and Juno said her soul didn't exist anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"You know those nasty sandworms? Like the one that ate me? I was able to survive the attack, but if a normal ghost got eaten by one, they would basically die twice. Their soul would be devoured by the sandworm because it feeds of the energy a soul emits."

Lydia shuddered. The Maitlands told her how they almost 'died' from the sandworms and how terrifying the experiences were.

"So…she was eaten?"

"You could say that." Beetlejuice's voice sounded filled with sadness again. Lydia regretted bringing the topic up just when he was acting 'normal' again.

"Um…you think you could help me out of here?" Lydia tried to change the subject. Beetlejuice rolled his sleeves up and leaned over the tub, grabbing her arms and pushed them up along his shoulders. The cold air pinched at her body as she was lifted out of the bathtub and carried by Beetlejuice into her bedroom. She surprised herself when she realized she wasn't bothered by the fact she was nude around him. _That's slightly disturbing…strike that…it's very disturbing…_she thought. Beetlejuice snapped his fingers and a robe appeared on top of her as he laid her on her bed. "Thanks…" she said as she slid her arms through the silky material.

"Eh, figured you wouldn't wanna be cold." Bettlejuice floated into the air and sat Indian style.

"So what are we going to do about Vincent and his…friends?" Lydia really wanted to know what the plan was going to be. It wouldn't be long before Vincent or another friend came tearing into her apartment. And Juno _did_ say to do something about it.

"Don't you worry about it. I have a plan." Beetlejuice's smile was almost horrifying. Lydia felt a chill crawl down her spine.


	11. It's Showtime

**It's Showtime**

"Why can't I come with you?" Lydia demanded an answer. Bettlejuice shook his head.

"Hmm, let's see…maybe because you're already injured and could get yourself killed. I, on the other hand, am already dead, so I can handle everything better than you, Babes." Lydia sighed. "Don't be so damn stubborn!"

"Guess I learned it from someone…" Lydia sneered as she glared at Beetlejuice.

"Ha! Come up with a better insult next time. Maybe it'll work." The ghost laughed as he floated out of her bedroom.

"How will I know what's happening? If I'm even safe? You can't leave me here!" _Don't leave me again…_

"You'll be just fine! If you need me, just say my name, and poof! Only good thing about that stupid curse."

_I don't want to be alone…_

"What if you get hurt?" Beetlejuice turned and faced a startled Lydia.

"Tch, as if. I'm the ghost with the most, remember? No human can hurt me." He scoffed at the thought and waved at Lydia with a grin on his face. "I'll be back in a flash. We can celebrate my victory by you paying me back!" His laughter echoed throughout the apartment as he fizzled out of Lydia's sight. She turned and stared at the mirror across from her bed. She felt fear, worry, doubt, insecure, nauseas, tired, and helpless.

And more alone than ever.

She winced as she pulled up her legs and rested her head on her knees. What was going to happen? Bettlejuice didn't tell her anything about what he planned to do. All she knew was that he was determined to solve the issue. If not for her sake, then for his. She could tell that Juno meant business when they spoke. Why had there been a time crunch for Beetlejuice? Was something bad going to happen? Did it happen already when that friend tried to kill her? Lydia grabbed her head in frustration. "UGH!" Too many questions! She was asking questions all the time when she first met the Maitlands, and now she couldn't stop asking Beetlejuice questions. Why did she have to know everything?

Then a thought appeared in her mind. Her slim body got up from the messy bed as she walked towards her dresser. Her hands hesitated for a second before opening a small drawer on the side. Various pieces of jewelry sparkled in the daylight as the drawer extended outwards. Her fingers fiddled through the necklaces, earrings, and bracelets until they felt something velvet. "Got it…" she whispered and pulled out a very small pouch. She returned to her bed and held the pouch in her hands, staring at it. Slowly, her fingers loosened the strings keeping it closed. She held her breath as her hand pulled out a small, golden object. "Forgot about you…almost…" she said to the shimmering ring that sat in her palm. It was true that Beetlejuice lost the ring he was going to force onto Lydia's finger. But after he disappeared and she was reunited with her family and ghostly friends, she discovered the ring left behind by the fireplace. Something inside tempted her to keep the ring, feeling that it belonged to her.

An explosion from outside halted her thinking and she saw bright yellow light out her window. Another explosion close by caused the glass in the window to spew shards in all directions. Lydia screamed and jumped off her bed to avoid the glass. Her side pain increased tenfold and she fell to her knees beside the bed, holding her head down. _What is going on? _Her mind raced as she struggled to get to her feet. As her eyes adjusted to the bright lights from the growing fire, she saw a dark figure approaching the window. _Beetlejuice?_

A third explosion made everything turn white before her eyes and she shielded her face, feeling a rush of heat enter her bedroom. Her body instinctively ducked downwards. "Beetlejuice…help me…" She whimpered as she tried to move back up to see what was approaching her. Fire ate away the walls of her bedroom, devouring her curtains, books, and carpet. Lydia tried to move, but she was frozen in fear. All she could do was watch as the silhouette drew closer. _That's not Beetlejuice…_she thought as the figure's appearance became clearer. The green eyes that burned into her did not belong to Beetlejuice. _Damnit! Get up, Lydia!_ The figure started to laugh manically as it came close enough to waltz right into the room. Lydia forced herself to stand, shivering from head to toe.

"You're mine now, Lydia. Whether you like it or not." The voice was cold and sinister, which Lydia instantly knew as Vincent's. He looked possessed. His physique had changed and was somehow more…muscular? A smile that Lydia had never seen before spread across his face as he neared the bed. She backed up, bumping against the bathroom door.

"Vincent…get the hell away from me…" She cried. Her hand was clutching the ring tightly at her chest. "Beetlejuice…Beetlejuice…" A powerful force slunk around her throat before she could utter the name again. No air. There was no air. The fury-filled eyed of Vincent were only an inch away; his breath hot against Lydia's face. He was holding her by her neck against the door. She grasped at his wrist, begging through her eyes to breathe. Vincent only smiled at her, as if he was getting off on her pain. "B…b…" She tried as hard as she could to mouth the name. _Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Please help me! I don't want to die like this! BEETLEJUICE!_

"You should look forward for what I have planned, lovely Lydia. I'll rip you apart and make you beg for death. Make you beg me to stop."

"Wh..w.." Vincent tilted his head to the side. Lydia's vision started to blur as her head throbbed.

"It's my way of thanking you." Lydia felt herself fly as she was tossed onto her bed. Fire was spread to the ceiling, and she was sweating from the intense heat. She gasped for air as Vincent started to laugh. "I'll thank you, all right!"

Tears leaked from her eyes as she dreamily glanced at the ring in her opened palm. Was this the end? If so…she wanted to see him one last time. Lydia closed her eyes and took one last breath.

"…Beetle…juice…"

Vincent began to scream. The heat around her disappeared into extreme cold. Lydia slowly opened her eyes, seeing her breath flutter through the air. Was she dead? Her throat was throbbing and she had difficulty making herself sit up. That wasn't right. If she was dead, she wouldn't feel pain, would she? She rubbed her eyes and saw a frozen Vincent in front of her. His face was twisted in an expression of horror and his hands were frozen; flailed at his sides.

"Lydia…" She heard her name from behind. Slowly, her head turned and through strands of her long hair she saw a glowing Beetlejuice. His entire body was emitting a bright green energy. He extended a hand out to her. The young mortal was in awe. Her teeth chattered from the cold as she reached out to him. It was like she was drawn into the light. _His_ light.

"You came back…" Her voice was strained from being strangled, so it was as soft as a whisper. Her hand touched his and she smiled weakly as his fingers wrapped around hers. The glowing energy spread along her arm and engulfed her body. She started to float off of the bed, towards Beetlejuice. He took her beaten body into a tight embrace.

"Told ya I would." Lydia could only smile before falling into darkness while in his arms.


	12. Leave Me Breathless

**Leave Me Breathless**

Snow was falling. Giant pillows of frozen water floating playfully from the sky. Teasing her. Lydia wanted to play in it. To dive into it and bury herself in the winter tundra. Instead, she ran through the curtains of white. _Where am I?_ _Am I dreaming? Am I dead? _ She wandered aimlessly through the snowflakes. Searching. Desperate.

"_I can see why…"_

A faint voice harmoniously tickled at Lydia's ears.

"Is someone there?" She called out into the snow.

"_I'm so happy…"_

"Who's there? Where are you?"

"_There's still hope…"_

Lydia started to run. The voice wasn't Beetlejuice's, or from anyone she knew, actually. It sounded like it came from a girl, but from where?

"…_for him after all…"_

"Where are you? How do I get out of here?" Lydia was screaming now, panicked. The endless white surrounding her increased her sense of being lost. "Beetlejuice! Anybody! What's going on?" Lydia grew out of breath and fell to her knees, into the feathery snow. "Am I alone?"

"_Lyds….Lyds…" _Beetlejuice's muffled voice called from so far away that Lydia almost dismissed it.

"BJ?" Lydia stared up at what would have been a sky. Through the snow she saw two specs of green. Jade. "BJ!"

"_Lyds…Come on….please…up…"_

"BJ! What are you saying? I can't hear you!" Lydia cried out. What was happening to her?

"_Open…don't…me…please…your….eyes…." _

The snow stopped falling and the specs if jade grew larger, now becoming the size of moons above her head. Lydia felt the ground beneath her shake and she yelped as it broke.

And she was falling.

"Beetlejuice!" Her voice echoed all around her.

"Lydia? Damn, you nearly scared the shit out of me!" Beetlejuice's voice was overwhelmingly loud. Lydia opened her eyes and saw that she was in his arms.

"BJ? Wha…what happened?" Lydia whispered. Her throat was very sore, making it difficult for her to breathe. She pulled her eyes way from Beetlejuice and saw a very dark room. The only light was dim and coming from what looked like a lamp from a totally different century. The shade was a pale purple color, while the stand was rusted gold. Beside it was a dusty black recliner that desperately needed to be re-sewn in several spots. The air was stale, with a slight scent of the insides of a moldy garage. "Where are we?"

"My bachelor pad, m'course," he said as he carried her to the chair, slowly lowering her into it. "How do you feel?" he asked as his fingers lightly touched the darkening bruise along her neck. Lydia winced an moaned as pain surged around her head from his touch. "Sorry, wanted to check out the damage."

Lydia wasn't sure how to answer. She felt relief. Incredible relief that she wasn't dead. She also felt very, _very_ confused about what just happened. Her mind filled with what seemed like dozens of questions. No, those would have to wait. First things first.

"Outside of the whole throbbing pain everywhere and being in some strange state of shock, I'm just dandy," she replied, trying to lighten the situation with some sarcasm. Beetlejuice's serious expression of concern told her it didn't work. She noticed his eyes fall down to her lap, where her hands lay.

"What are you holding?" His voice filled with puzzlement. Her eyes widened as she remembered.

_The ring!_ She must've kept hold of it during everything that happened! Her fingers unclenched, revealing the small golden ring. Beetlejuice's mouth fell open. Lydia didn't know what to say and blurted out the first things that came to mind, hoping she wouldn't face any wrath he had still in him.

"I…I found it sometime after you disappeared and kinda kept it…don't be mad…you can have it back!" She thrust her hands up towards him and turned her head to the side. His hands grasped her and closed her fingers over her palms. Lydia turned back to him as he pushed her arms back down to her lap.

"You kept it this long. Won't hurt if you hold onto it for a little longer," he said softly while he drew his head closer to hers. Her heart began to pound. He had such an effect on her! "Under one condition, though." His forehead lightly bumped against hers and she stared deeply into his eyes.

"…what condition?" The mortal's breathing hastened. What was he going to do? If he forced himself on her, she'd have no energy to fight him back at this point. If that was the condition anyway, she didn't want the ring. She could've sworn that he was breathing against her. And that it was somehow _warm_. His nose tapped against hers as she waited for what he wanted.

"You… admit that marrying me wouldn't have been so bad!" he spat at her and stood back up with a laugh. Lydia's face burned from blushing and she growled at him.

"You are SO egotistical!" She snarled. Before she could do anything else, he swooped back down and pressed his cold lips against hers. Lydia's mind went blank. It felt like time had come to a halt as the poltergeist that she had feared while as teenager stole a kiss from her. The contact released a jolt of electricity throughout her entire being, making her feel warm inside. Was this really happening?

He broke the intimate connection before she could ponder it. When she regained composure, she noticed that he seemed just as exasperated as she.

"I really thought I lost you back there, Lyds," his voice said in a serious tone as he gazed down at her. "You seemed so lifeless when I brought you here, and you wouldn't wake up. I'm so sorry I couldn't get to you sooner…"

Lydia stared at Beetlejuice, still in complete shock. He lowered his head and gazed out into the distance beside her. Her fingers slowly rose and touched her lips. She could still feel his against them. They were so…soft…

"What happened…" She wanted to ask about the kiss, but hesitated. "…back there? Last I remember, Vincent was about to kill me, and everything was burning…then it all froze…and you were glowing…"Beetlejuice crossed his arms and Lydia caught his fingers squeezing against his muscle.

"I never expected any of that to happen. Something's not right with that human. I discovered that when I tracked down his buddy that attacked you. He acted like he had gone insane. When I tried to 'sedate' him with my powers, he shot some weird energy at me and ran off. The energy stalled me because it froze me in my spot. And I can promise you that I was so pissed off, I wanted to kill the bastard. I was able to free myself, but when I finally chased his ass down, I was too late. Vincent killed him himself."

"He…_killed_ him?" Lydia repeated what Beetlejuice said in horror.

"Not naturally. He stabbed the guy with his own hand. Right through his stomach. I knew immediately that Vincent wasn't normal."

_His own hand? But how…?_ Lydia thought about the force he put into her neck, nearly crushing it with his fingers. She saw his body tense up as he continued.

"He sighted me before I could lay a hand on him. I felt something really off about him, something not right. He was able to use powers similar to mine and blast me clear through a building with some sort of fireball. It hurt like hell, which is saying a lot. It knocked me out for a while. When I came to, I saw that your apartment was covered in fire and I tried to move. Man, I was so _fucking_ angry at him when I realized I was paralyzed. Whatever he hit me with was stronger than anything I've encountered in a very long time. I struggled to move when I heard you call my name…"

"Then you showed up…" Lydia smiled briefly. Beetlejuice looked at her with sorrowful eyes.

"I saw what he did to you, and I was so pissed that I was going to put my all into annihilating him. But when I sensed how weak you were, I decided against it and froze time."

"You froze…time…you can do that?"

"Told you I'm more powerful than you can imagine. What I did was really taboo, so I'm sure Juno will be all up my ass about it later. But saving you mattered more than breaking a few rules."

_I mattered?_

A strange silence formed between the two for minutes. Lydia was trying her best to process everything Bettlejuice just explained. That and the fact that he kissed her out of nowhere.

"When you got me…I was surrounded by snow." Lydia muttered, fidgeting her fingers around the ring in her lap. "I ran forever, trying to find you and I heard a strange voice."

"Strange voice?"

"I could barely hear it, but it sounded like a girl's voice. Mentioned something about being happy and there was still hope…but I don't understand it at all…" She looked over at Beetlejuice. He looked alarmed. "Do you have any idea what it means? Was I in some kind of limbo?"

The ghoul bit his lip.

"Damnit, Juno. I'm gonna get you for this," he groaned.

"Juno? What does she have to do with any of this? What aren't you telling me, BJ?" Lydia reached up to touch him but he took a step back.

"I…I can't tell you. Don't worry about it. All that matters right now is you're safe for the time being, until I figure out what to do next. Vincent definitely has something, or some_one_ inside him. That much be how he could do all the shit he did."

"You mean like he's possessed?" Lydia frowned, too exhausted to fight with the ghost right now.

"Something like that. I do it to make some laughs and scare people for fun. But sometimes, ghosts will possess the living in order to create some real chaos. I'm surprised I didn't sense anything before."

"Will he be able to travel between worlds?" Lydia dreaded the idea.

"No…not yet anyway. It seemed like whatever is inside him is just festering, feeding on his energy and using his emotions against him. But who knows for sure…"

"Oh no…" Lydia began to imagine the horrible possibilities. Beetlejuice took her hand and pulled her out of the chair.

"You don't need to think about it right now, okay Babes? You need to rest to recover. I tried to heal your bruising, but it was caused by a magic that for some reason, I can't touch. I'll let you sleep in my bed for the night. It's no luxury, but it'll be good enough…" he said as he dragged her across the dark room. Another strange light flickered on in the corner of Lydia's eye and she saw a queen-sized bed, shrouded in dusty, red bedcovers.

"…What about you?" Lydia asked. Bettlejuice shrugged.

"Don't worry 'bout me. That chair is mighty comfy enough for the B-man. Oh, that reminds me," He grinned a little as he snapped his fingers. Lydia's clothing changed into a set of black, silk pajamas. A faint spider web design covered the outfit. "Felt you would sleep better in those. They're on the house."

"Thanks…" Lydia felt the soft fabric against her skin and smiled, Beetlejuice helped her into his bed and it was surprisingly comfortable, outside of the dust. She coughed a little. "BJ?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't…leave me again….okay?" Lydia begged. Beetlejuice placed a hand on her head and ruffled her hair a bit.

"Nah…you're stuck with me for now, Kid. Get some sleep." He turned and walked over to the recliner nearby and Lydia lowered her head to the pillow. Her fingers traced her lips once again. She pulled out the ring and smiled gently, sticking it back in its pouch and placing it in a pocket of the pajamas. Drowsiness was starting to take over when she heard Beetlejuice sigh.

"She leaves me breathless, and I'm already dead. What the hell is happening to me?" His voice was just low enough that she could faintly hear it. Then she succumbed to the strong pulling of sleep.


	13. When it Rains, it Pours

**When it Rains, it Pours**

"Lyds, time to get up," Beetlejuice's voice swam inside Lydia's head as she groggily opened her eyes. She yawned and stretched out her limbs, wincing as the aches and pains came back all over her body.

"This is really starting to annoy me…" she said, sitting up and glancing over at Beetlejuice. He looked as though he didn't get much sleep. Was he up that whole time? "Did you sleep at all, BJ?"

"Oh yeah, Babes. Well, it was hard trying to sleep with your nagging snores echoing around me. You should get that checked…" He snickered at Lydia as he floated around the bed. She groaned and coughed.

"If you dusted your bed once in a while, maybe my airways wouldn't be so clogged that I'd snore!" The raven-haired woman quipped while pulling back her hair. Beetlejuice crossed his arms at is chest and huffed at her.

"Pfft. I like my dust just fine, thank you!" He turned his head and dropped onto the bed, startling Lydia. She pushed off the blankets and grabbed a pillow, ready to strike. Beetlejuice looked at her with a strange gleam in his eyes and grinned. "You sure are feisty when you're flustered, Lyds. It's entertainin'."

"You drive me insane, BJ, truly." The mortal sighed and dropped the pillow. "So…what's next?" The poltergeist leaned back, pressing his arms against the bed near her feet. His head fell back, a sea of his yellow hair falling against the sheets as his jade eyes looked at her. "I mean…I can't really stay here forever…" Her finger swirled around some dust on the sheet beside her. Her lips changed into a disgusted formation as she rubbed away the dust between her fingers. "As enticing as it is…" Beetlejuice chuckled and in a flash, he spun around and faced her with his legs crossed. His playful expression was replaced with a serious one as his eyes lowered to her fingers.

"We have to talk to Juno. That wench should know something about what Vincey is messing with. Least…she better know." He shrugged his shoulders. Lydia felt an urge from deep in the pit of her stomach to console him. He looked as beaten down as she did…but more mentally than physically. Her scarred arm extended towards him and tugged on the sleeve of his white shirt. His eyes matched hers and her heart raced within her chest. Then she wondered to herself, _how do you console a ghost?_

"Don't let this get to that enormous ego of yours, but, I have faith in you, BJ." Her voice was strong as she spoke. She noticed a slight twitch along his eyes at her statement. Had he not heard that before? "You _are_ the 'ghost with the most', after all." She gave him a warm smile to reassure him. His eyes fell down to her hand at his sleeve and one of his wrapped around it. The coldness of his touch didn't bother her any more. She gasped a little as he pulled her into an embrace. He buried his head into her endless black hair and sighed. Lydia put her arms around his back and closed her eyes. Something was changing between the two of them. She thought about the kiss that happened the night before, and how sudden it occurred. Was it possible for Beetlejuice to feel for someone….to feel for _her_?

"Thanks…Lydia." His voice was gentle as he murmured into her hair. Lydia let out a small sigh.

"Anytime, BJ."

"You two. My office. NOW." A voice roared around the two, shaking everything in the room. When Lydia opened her eyes to see where it came from, she and Beetlejuice weren't in the bed anymore. They were on a black and white checkered floor in a familiar office. The strong aroma of smoke made Lydia cough as she stood up alongside Beetlejuice. They both peered to see a visibly upset Juno sitting at her desk with a cigar in hand.

"Juno!" Lydia yelped in surprise. The elder ghost glared at the two of them in disdain and placed her cigarette in its ashtray holder.

"You two are really something. This has become such a disaster; I don't even know where to start."

"What do you mean?" Lydia inquired. Juno turned to her and snarled slightly.

"Your ex-boyfriend is tearing it up in the living world. I've had at least a dozen souls come down here that were killed by him. Panic is spreading across the underworld because of what he;s exposing un-allowed powers, making living people question…things…" Her glare switched to Beetlejuice. "And you! I told you to get rid of that human! Instead, you're parading around, letting him get himself killed by that mortal! Then, you STOP TIME, which throws everything out of whack up there AND down here, bring her down here AGAIN, and…" The woman's face started to turn red. "…you dare to kiss her! You KNOW that is against all the rules, especially considering who she is!" Juno's voice sounded more like a growl from a wolf by the end of her tirade. "And that's not even everything! But, I have more important matters to deal with, concerning that mortal at the moment." Her face returned to normal and she took a puff from her cigarette.

Lydia was dumbfounded. What…just…happened? She sensed fear form Beetlejuice and glanced over at him quickly. He looked like a deer in headlights. His hands were in tight fists at his sides and they were shaking. Ignoring the last thing Juno said, Lydia took a step forward.

"Vincent isn't normal, if you couldn't tell. He's…possessed…or something." Lydia bit her lip.

"Of course he is. You think I'm stupid? It's not rocket science figuring that out. No human could cause the damage he has."

"Do you know who's possessing him, then?" Lydia was hoping Juno knew. Things would be much easier if she did. The elderly ghoul sighed and leaned back in her tall, leather chair.

"Whoever it is, they have some powerful magic. They've shielded any identifying information from the underworld authorities. And it seems like they are gaining more energy as time passes," Juno said. "I've considered all the options possible in regards to handling this mess, but only one has any chance of actually working. But I don't want to enable it."

"What is it, Juno?" Lydia was growing weary. "What's the option?"

"Getting my powers back," Beetlejuice whispered from behind Lydia. She looked at him in disbelief.

"What?"

"He's right, unfortunately," Juno sighed. "As much as I hate to admit it, he IS probably the most powerful poltergeist in the underworld. And if anyone can crack into the magic of the possessed human, it would be Geuse."

"The most powerful…?" Lydia was getting more and more confused.

"I take it you talked with the bosses about that?" Beetlejuice asked. Juno gave a nod.

"They are willing to chance it. Never before has a spirit been powerful enough to cause this much damage. They see him as more of a threat than you for the time being."

Lydia stood in place as Beetlejuice walked past her and up to the desk. He slammed his hands onto the wood and grinned wildly.

"Well then, let's get this show on the road!" He cried out. "I don't need someone else stealing my spotlight!" Juno stood from her chair and picked up a small chest that sat on her desk. Lydia strangely felt drawn to it. It was rusted over and had a skull emblem on the front. Its mouth was a lock. Beetlejuice walked back and stood next to Lydia.

"Get out of the way." Juno directed to Lydia. She shuffled herself to the side and watched as Beetlejuice was practically jumping in delight. Juno pulled out a skeletal-looking key and stuck it into the lock. With one twist, the top flew open and bright green light flooded out. A screeching noise split into Lydia's ears and she held them in pain as she watched the light flow from the chest and into Beetlejuice. He held his arms out and his head flew back as the energy engulfed him.

"Hahaha yes! Come to papa!" Beetlejuice cried as his body began to levitate. Papers flew around the room as the blinds on the windows and door fluttered erratically. Lydia was awestruck at Beetlejuice. Was he really that powerful? The energy soon dissipated from the chest and Juno calmly placed it on her desk. Beetlejuice landed back on the floor and grinned at himself, staring at his hands. "It's been too long. Feels so good!" He growled in triumph and looked over at Lydia. He snapped his fingers and Lydia felt foreign warmth inside of her.

All the pain from the last few days flushed away from her body. She felt refreshed, as if she slept for an entire week. Beetlejuice blew his fingers like they were a gun and patted himself on the back. "Told ya I could do better." Lydia gazed down and saw that the scar on her arm was gone. Her fingers traced along her neck and the bruising disappeared too. There was no pain in her side, and as she slid her hand inside the top of her pajamas, she didn't feel a cut any more. She was fully healed!

"Now listen, Geuse. We are all trusting you to do what you need to with your powers. If I hear that you misuse them at all, for any reason, you'll be placed back in that holding cell so fast; you'll wish you were eaten by that sandworm. You understand?" Juno sat back down in her chair and sucked on her cigarette. Smoke floated out of her neck.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah I got it. Jeez…" Beetlejuice grinned. Lydia turned to Juno, still confused.

"Juno, about what you said earlier…what did you mean by who I am?" She asked. Juno blew out smoke as she glared at Beetlejuice as the smoke fogged everything around them. Lydia started to cough and when she said, she realized they weren't with Juno anymore. Instead, they were in the middle of a snowy road. It was cloudy but still light enough that it wasn't nighttime. "Damnit, Juno!" Lydia snarled.

"This is gonna be great!" Beetlejuice squealed. He grabbed Lydia's arm and she retracted it, angered.

"Now wait just a damn minute! I'm sick of being in the dark all the time. Both you and Juno know something that you're not telling me! And I am seriously getting pissed off. You need to start talking! Now!" Lydia spat out at Beetlejuice. He threw his hands up and shook his head.

"Yer pickin' a really bad time for this, Babes. Can't it wait til after we take care of Vincey? You're such a buzzkill," Beetlejuice replied. Lydia punched him in the arm.

"Every time I've asked something important, it's been a bad time. Or you can't tell me. Or we phase out somewhere before I get an answer. I'm sick of this! I'm a grown adult and can handle anything you tell me. Why are you keeping secrets from me, BJ?" Lydia placed her hands on her hips and stared at Beetlejuice, growing impatient. "I've handled everything else pretty well. I've kept quiet and haven't pushed anything. I've almost died at least twice in the past couple days. So you owe me something."

"Now wait a minute. I believe it's _you_ who owe_ me_ something, right, Lyds?" Beetlejuice leaned down and pressed his forehead against Lydia's. Her face filled with blood and she glared at him.

"Your tricks aren't going to work this time, BJ. I deserve some answers." Beetlejuice's face fell and he sighed. Lydia felt his 'breath' and it was amazingly warm, like before. He laid his hands on her shoulders.

"Awright, Lyds. How about this: AFTER we deal with Vincey, I'll explain everything. Okay? Can you wait til then?" He said. Lydia narrowed her eyes and finally nodded.

"Fine. But I'm holding you to that." Beetlejuice released her and his eyes darted around them.

"Whatever. Let's get this party started!" He was beaming. With a flick of his wrist, Lydia saw his body glow and his striped suit appeared. "Much better! I prefer to kick ass in my favorite suit. It's a trademark." He said and glanced at Lydia, who was not too impressed. "Aw, come on, Babe. Help me out here, will ya?" He whined and clapped his hands together. Her pajamas melted away, leaving tight black leather pants behind, with a dark purple corset top. Fishnet sprouted from the corset and covered her arms and fingers. Her hair was tied back into a bun and a few strands fell over her eyes. "Don't you at least feel better now? Huh?"

Lydia didn't want to admit it, but she did feel a little better. She could only sigh.

"Alright. So where do we go from here, 'Almighty Poltergeist'?" Her words were dripping with sarcasm. Beetlejuice snickered and grabbed her hand.

"Just follow me, Babes. I know right where to go!" He called out into the snow and Lydia felt herself levitating into the air. Then, the two of them sped through the air like a subway train. The buildings around them blurred together as she held onto Beetlejuice's hand tightly. "Man, it feels so good to be my old self again!" Beetlejuice gloated as they whipped across the city.


	14. Put Up or Shut Up

**Put Up or Shut Up**

The two slowed down near the outskirts of the city. When they landed, Lydia recognized the arrangement of buildings and cars in the street. "Vincent lives here," she said as Beetlejuice let go of her. A chill ran down Lydia's spine as they stared up at a tall building. An orange glow was coming from a window a few stories up. From Vincent's apartment.

"Time to show off what I can do," Beetlejuice snickered as he snapped his fingers. Lydia watched in amazement as a large chunk of ice flowed up and out from a nearby gutter, creating an arch towards the apartment window. Beetlejuice grabbed Lydia's arm and pulled her towards the tall structure. "Let's go!" he cried out and stepped onto the ice. Lydia followed and they slid upwards on the ice. It reminded her of a reverse slide and she hoped they'd be able to stop. Beetlejuice held out his other hand and used air to blast through the window. Glass shared flung everywhere, causing Lydia to shield her face from the onslaught.

The two landed inside the apartment on their feet, to Lydia's relief. The orange glow was much brighter inside and as she lowered her arm, she saw Vincent kneeling by his electric fireplace. The glow was coming from within him! "Hey, buddy. Get up. Time to play with me!" Beetlejuice growled, pushing Lydia behind him for protection. The glowing faded away as Lydia peered from around his shoulder to see Vincent stand up and turn to face them. What she saw struck horror through her heart. Vincent's skin was olive green, with veins bulging out from underneath. His hair was grey, with only a few patches of brown hair left. And his eyes….the eyes that once took her breath away so long ago were completely different. They were oval-shaped and a searing red instead of green. His lips were a crimson color and as he opened them, they exposed yellow fang-like teeth.

"So they finally let the dog out," Vincent said with a wicked smirk. "Took them long enough."

"You're…you're not Vincent!" Lydia cried from behind Beetlejuice. He held a hand out to keep her back as he stared down the creature before them.

"Who are you?" Beetlejuice asked. Vincent let out a chilling laugh.

"What's the matter? Don't recognize me? Ah, well…I'm sure it's hard as I am in this meat sack. But soon, I won't need it anymore."

"Do I know you?" Beetlejuice tilted his head a little, as if trying to remember. Lydia tugged onto his jacket in fear.

"It took me so long to get enough power. This body has served as a great vessel. The anger inside it fed me well. I'll have to thank you for that, Lydia." Lydia cringed as the creature said her name. Even though it was still in Vincent's voice, it made her want to throw up.

"You're not laying a hand on her, 'Pal'," Beetlejuice sneered. "Now tell me who you are before I have to get nasty."

Vincent laughed again and his hand rubbed his chin.

"Maybe this will jog your memory…" Vincent said as he held one of his hands out. A small orb formed in his palm. An image appeared in the object. Lydia felt Beetlejuice's body tense up as she watched a young teen running within the orb.

"_Hey! Wait up!"_ the teenager cried out as he ran after another boy. The image was jumbled, but Lydia could tell that the boy who spoke had blonde hair. _"Wait up! Damnit!"_

Laughter billowed from the orb as the blonde teen finally caught up to the other one.

"_Hahaha! You're so slow, you know that? I don't know why I bring you with me, you only hold me back!"_ The other boy spat at the blonde.

"_You can't get away with anything without me! Now give me my share, Auddy!" _The blonde boy sneered as the other boy held out his hands, revealing a few pieces of beautiful jewelry.

"_Fine, but you need to get in better shape. You'd think a farmer's boy would have better endurance! Haha!" _The teens laughed as the orb fizzled out. Lydia was completely confused. Again. She glanced over to the side of Beetlejuice's face and saw anguish written all over it.

"Remember me now, old friend?" Vincent asked.

"Auden?" Beetlejuice sounded surprised. In disbelief, even. Lydia wasn't sure. "What are you doing possessing a human?"

Vincent threw his head back and cackled fiercely.

"Over six hundred years and you don't even ask how I've been? Was our friendship that meaningless? That hurts."

"Damnit, Auden. What are you planning? What you're doing isn't allowed!" Beetlejuice growled. Vincent glared back at him.

"Who are you to spit out rules to me? I don't remember you ever being an enforcer for anything, unless it saved your own hide," he turned around and threw his arms into the air at his sides. "Ah! The good old days. Back when we were young and got away with anything and everything. Don't you miss back then?"

"What are you getting at, Auden? Get out of that kid's body!"

"You're ruining my fun, friend. I haven't finished my plan." Vincent turned back around and lifted a finger. Lydia felt herself rise into the air and she gasped. Beetlejuice grabbed her arm and tried to pull her back down, but she dissolved out of his hold, appearing in the arms of Vincent.

"Let me go! Agh!" Lydia struggled against his brute strength as he held her at his side.

"Damnit, Auden. Leave her alone! She has nothing to do with this!" Beetlejuice snapped and thrust out his arms to attack. Vincent smiled and shook a finger at him.

"You don't want to do that. If you hit me, the girl dies." Vincent's finger fell to Lydia's face and grazed along her jawline. "You are such a sweet creature. The boy really did care for you." His voice lowered and he pushed his head into the side of her head, his slimy lips lightly touching her ear. "It's a shame I couldn't take you back then." Lydia's eyes widened as she recognized that tone of voice.

"It…it was you who….who tried to…oh my god…" Her body shivered as the memory of Vincent's attempted rape replayed in her mind.

"Don't worry, I'll make it up to you," Vincent smiled and turned back to Beetlejuice.

"You are a bastard," Beetlejuice growled.

"Oh, come now. All in good fun, right?" Lydia felt overwhelmingly nauseas.

"Let me go, damnit!" Lydia screamed, biting down on the revolting skin holding her. Vincent hissed as she broke free and ran to Beetlejuice.

She felt a tug within her gut and flew backwards, hitting the wall behind Vincent. She could taste blood in her mouth as she sunk to the floor.

"Lyds!" Beetlejuice cried, forming a ball of electric energy and shooting it at Vincent. "Fuck these games. I'm getting rid of you, Auden. Your fun's over!"

Lydia heard muffled voices and crashing sounds. Her eyes tried to adjust to the blurry vision they acquired and she saw two figures of light fighting against each other. Something began to feel really hot inside her pants. Her hand slowly slid into a pocket and pulled out a small velvety pouch. Lydia opened the pouch and took out Beetlejuice's ring. It was glowing strangely.

_What…?_ Lydia thought as the light grew brighter. Suddenly, everything turned white around Lydia. When she realized what was happening, she was standing in the middle of a blizzard. Just like the one before.


	15. A Second Chance

**A Second Chance**

"What is going on?" Lydia screamed into the falling snow. "Why am I here again? Where's Beetlejuce? DAMNIT!" She threw her fists into the air in anger.

"_This all my fault…"_ A disembodied voice whispered in the wind. _"All my fault…"_

"Who are you? Show yourself!" Lydia demanded. The ring in her hand started to burn again and she flinched at the pain, dropping it into the snow. A small ball of white energy floated from the ring and expanded into the shape of a woman. Lydia stumbled backwards as a pair of dark eyes gazed at her. The energy faded away, revealing a woman who looked to be around Lydia's age. She wore a faded beige gown that had a few tears at the sides. It flowed along her slender shape. Brown shoes covered her feet and a shawl of some kind was wrapped loosely around her head, covering parts of her long, black hair. A patch of purple flowers poked through the shawl. She looked eerily similar to Lydia. A strong scent of lavender tickled at Lydia's nose.

"Please forgive me. I did not mean for this to happen," the woman pleaded, holding her hands together at her chest. Lydia was speechless. The woman gazed at Lydia with sad eyes. "I am Letia. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Lydia tried to muster some sort of response.

"L…Letia…?" She replied slowly. The woman smiled warmly and nodded.

"Yes. I was once _his_ true love. A long time ago."

"His…you mean BJ?" Lydia asked. The woman nodded again.

"We were lovers briefly in life, he and I. But I succumbed to the Black Death before we could consummate our love." The woman frowned as she spoke. Lydia felt a pain in her heart. "When I passed on, I was stricken with such grief that I wandered the afterlife aimlessly lost. My soul became so weak over that time, that I lost sense of myself. Around that time, a caseworker by the name of Juno appeared to me and gave me a choice. She sympathized with my grief and told me that I could either pass on permanently or be reunited with him. I begged for the second choice, and demanded to go to him. Juno showed me imagery of his starvation, and my grief overwhelmed me. I could not bear the sadness any longer. Juno decided the best thing for me was to let me pass on, due to my uncontrollable emotions. I begged her to let me be reunited with him once again someday. Surprised that I longed for him so badly, she permitted my request and sealed me within that ring," Letia explained and pointed to the fallen object. It floated into the air between the two of them. "She promised me that I would see him again; that my soul would be reunited with his in time."

"I…I still don't understand…" Lydia whispered as she stared at the ring.

"A part of me was reborn within you, Lydia Deetz. A small fraction of my soul bonded with yours. When he tried to marry you and this ring touched you, it reawakened me. Since then, I have been waiting. When I realized how much he had changed after death, I was terribly sad. I lost hope for what we had together so long ago. But I could feel his heart yearning for you for all these years. He found love again, in you." Letia smiled as a tear rolled down her cheek. "And it makes me so happy to know he can still care."

"He found love….in _me_…?" Lydia's face blushed vibrantly. Letia let out a soft giggle.

_That's why Juno yelled at Beetlejuice for kissing me!_ Lydia thought. _She knew about all of this!_

"You love him as well, don't you, Lydia?" Letia asked sweetly. The ring faded away as Lydia gawked at Letia.

"I…" She stumbled with words. "I…is that even possible?"

"Anything is possible when love in concerned. I can feel it within your heart. It is that love that will save him."

"Save him? From what?" Lydia's eyes narrowed.

"What he is battling right now is a very powerful soul. It belonged to a friend of ours in life, Auden. Auden was very jealous of what we had together and tried to kill him in a fit of rage after I denied him. I stopped it by attacking Auden with a tool I found on his farm. I didn't mean to kill him, but…" Letia sniffled as more tears ran down her face. "His anger and jealously grew after death and he gained incredible power over time. A few years ago, he discovered the connection between you and me and decided to manipulate it for revenge."

"So…he possessed Vincent?" Lydia asked.

"Yes. It is why he changed so drastically. Auden did not have enough power to overtake him then, so he 'slept' inside of him, slowly eating away at his soul to gain power. When you revealed your relations with the dead to him, Auden was able to take more control over the mortal when he was weak from fright, and started to control him since then."

"Oh no…Vincent…is Vincent okay?" Lydia held a hand at her mouth. All those times he yelled at her or beat her. All the aggression and anger wasn't from Vincent at all. Letia lowered her head.

"I am afraid that the damage Auden has done is irreversible. Auden fed into his anger, and by doing so, he absorbed bits of his soul. At this point in time, the mortal's soul is mostly gone."

Lydia's face grew tight as rage began to build within her. Her eyes narrowed.

"Do you know how I can help BJ, Letia?" Lydia's serious tone swirled around the two. Letia nodded.

"I will tell you his real name." Letia's face seemed to glow as she smiled.

"You mean BJ's real name?" Lydia remembered how reluctant Beetlejuice was at telling her before. Maybe it was something forbidden.

"Yes. His power is immense right now, but he is still not at his strongest. This is why his name was changed. His emotions from life carried over with his soul, making him very powerful. Juno told me that his name had to be changed in order to control him. And no one else was to know his true name, because it could unleash a power no one has seen. The leaders of the underworld feared this, and so made it forbidden for him to ever speak of his true name. But it's too dangerous now. Auden is growing stronger by the moment because of his ability to absorb energy. This is the only way now."

A small mirror formed beside the two women, and Lydia could see the battle between the two ghouls reflected in the glass. Lydia gasped as she watched Beetlejuice exude large amounts of green energy at Vincent. Vincent rebutted with orange energy of his own, tossing Beetlejuice around as if he were a rag doll.

"BJ!" Lydia cried out.

"Lydia, this is the only way you can save them. Please, I do not have much time left. My energy is growing thin," Letia's soft voice drew Lydia's attention back to her. Letia opened her arms to Lydia. "It's time for us to reunite." Still a bit confused, Lydia couldn't help but move towards the floating spirit. Letia was translucent to Lydia's touch.

"What is his name, Letia?" Lydia whispered as she wrapped her arms around the spirit. The ring formed around Lydia's finger and she felt strange warmth inside her chest.

"Kalen…" Letia's voice was only a whisper, but sounded loud to Lydia as it echoed within her mind. Both women closed their eyes and Lydia felt Letia disappear from her hold. "Take care of him for me…" The mortal woman smiled as she turned to the mirror.

"I'm coming, Beetlejuice. And this time, I can help."


	16. Breaking All the Rules

**Breaking All the Rules**

"Damn you, Auden! What do you want?" Beetlejuice snarled as he dodged a punching onslaught.

"You're that ignorant? How pitiful that you haven't gained any more intellect in the past few centuries. You're just the same farmer boy as back then!" The possessed body flung himself towards Beetlejuice with orange energy forming around his fists.

Lydia opened her eyes and realized she was still on the floor. Gazing down at her hand, she saw the ring on her and smiled. She stood up and looked at the two as they fought. Vincent caught sight of her and dove towards her. He grabbed her arms and pulled her to him. He cackled as he dashed with her through the broken window and into the night.

"Lyds!" Lydia heard Beetlejuice cry from behind. She was too weak to struggle against Vincent as they flew through the city.

"I'm going to finish my plan. And when I do, no one will be able to stop me!" Vincent said to Lydia. It felt like they were in the air for hours before they landed back at Lydia's apartment. It had been mostly burned down due to the fire Vincent started. Lydia frowned as the sight of all her belongings being charred and ash. He pulled her inside towards her bedroom and wiggled a finger, making her bed reappear as good as new. He threw her onto the bed and tossed a ball of orange light at where her walls used to be. Some type of red steel grew from the ground and covered the walls, ceiling, and bedroom door. Lydia looked at Vincent in fright.

Vincent cracked her neck to the sides as he snickered at his victim. He placed a hand to his chest. "Thanks to that ignorant ghost, I don't need this shell anymore," he said and ripped at his clothing. Lydia's mouth gaped open as she watched him tear off his own skin as if it were wrapping paper. She wanted to vomit as he tossed the skin of Vincent to the floor, revealing his true form. His skin was a darker olive-green color and his grey hair was down to his elbows. Purple veins covered the visible portions of his body. He wore a simple black t-shirt with grey pants and black boots. His eyes were crimson red and looked like they were burning into Lydia's body as he stared. "I'm going to enjoy this." He cracked his knuckles before pouncing on top of Lydia and pinning her beneath him.

"Auden! Leave her alone! Take me instead! She has nothing to do with this!" Beetlejuice's voice was faint. Lydia felt tears behind her eyes. Something slammed against the steel where her door would be. Auden grinned as he hungrily looked at Lydia.

"You have _everything_ to do with this," he whispered teasingly as he lowered his head towards Lydia's. She struggled against his weight but couldn't move an inch. She could feel Auden's stale 'breath' against her as he drew closer.

"LYDIA!" Beetlejuice screamed.

_Say his name…_Letia's voice whispered within Lydia's mind. _Set him free…_

Before Auden's lips could touch her, Lydia pushed her head back and cried out.

"KALEN!"

Auden froze a mere inch from her face.

"No…" He gasped. "It can't be…"

The room began to shake violently. Lydia cried out as Auden let her go and flung himself into the air. Lydia sat up and turned to see all the steel beginning to glow a bright shade of green. An overwhelmingly loud scream pelted from behind the steel, making Lydia cover her ears. She watched in shock as the steel shattered into thousands of balls of energy. The energy balls vibrated against one another before dissipating to reveal Beetlejuice. His entire body was glowing green now, from his hair to his boots. He thrust out a hand and electrical energy dashed from his fingers towards Auden. The ghoul flew back down to Lydia and pulled her against him. The electrical energy shot through one of her bookshelves, dissolving it. "You can't touch me! See? I have your precious mortal at my whim. I can kill her right now, right in front of you. You'll finally experience the pain you caused me so long ago!"

Lydia noticed how hysterical the ghoul was sounding. He was truly frightened. Lydia felt his arm slide up to her neck, and it became hard to breathe. Her fingers weakly grasped at his strong arm. Her dark eyes stared into the deep jade eyes of Beetlejuice. He smiled. Lydia felt Auden's body shaking as he tried to hold her tightly against him. Beetlejuice's eyes narrowed and he flew towards them. Lydia couldn't tell what happened next because it was so fast. But she felt Auden release her and she fell back onto the bed. She held her neck and coughed violently. When she looked over to see what was happening, she saw Auden's body…_melting_…against her other bookshelf. His screaming was agonizing to hear. Beetlejuice was grinning in a way that startled Lydia. As Auden screamed, a small ball of blue light appeared from within him. It floated towards Lydia at eye-level. She sat up to get a better look.

_Thank you…_Vincent's voice whispered from the energy. Lydia began to cry at the realization that his soul was so damaged, this was all that remained. It then sped above her head and dissolved into what was left of his body. Lydia watched as the body reformed into the real Vincent. He smiled sweetly at Lydia. His light green eyes sparkled a little.

"Vincent…" Lydia gasped.

_Goodbye…_Vincent's form then faded before Lydia's eyes. A strange laughter made her turn back to see Beetlejuice blasting energy where Auden had been. The energy shot through the wall, destroying everything in its path. Pipes burst and electrical wires exploded on impact. The hole left behind was daunting, and Beetlejuice didn't stop. His energy shot through to the other buildings nearby, decimating them. Screams from neighbors and people nearby carried through the chilling, debris-filled wind that entered the apartment. Lydia didn't know what to do.

"_No one else was to know his true name, because it could unleash a power no one has seen. The leaders of the underworld feared this…"_

Lydia pushed herself off the bed and approached Beetlejuice, who was floating in the air.

"Beetlejuice!" She called out. Beetlejuice didn't respond. He started to laugh hysterically and blasted more energy in front of him. Green fire began to fly out from within the walls. "Beetlejuice, please stop!" Lydia jumped and grabbed at his pants to get his attention. He glared downwards at her and thrust out a hand to blast her. "It's me, BJ. Lydia. Your Lyds. Don't do this. The power is consuming you! Don't let it take over you!" The fire was spreading along the walls now. Lydia's tears were flowing freely down her pale face. Beetlejuice's face didn't falter. His fingers began to glow as electrical energy sprouted from them. "BJ…please…I…" She began to sob. A growl erupted from Beetlejuice as the energy shot towards her. "I love you…Kalen…" Lydia closed her eyes, waiting for the energy to kill her.

"Lydia?" Beetlejuice's voice was soft, but weak. Everything felt very cold. She opened her eyes to see that the released energy was frozen in time, right in front of her face. She let out a deep breath of relief. Beetlejuice was staring down at her in astonishment. "Oh god, what was I about to do?" He sounded confused at himself and he floated down beside Lydia. She stepped out of the way of the energy and gazed at the confused poltergeist. "What happened? Last thing I remember, I was trying to break in…then…everything went black…" Without a word, Lydia latched onto Beetlejuice and cried into his chest.

"You're back to normal…I'm so glad…"Her voice murmured into his stripes. She felt his hand wrap themselves around her frail body and hold her. His head rested on top of her.

"I don't get it. Looks like I won, but how?" He asked. Lydia pulled her head off of him and glanced up at his forlorn face.

"I…I called out your name," Lydia said. Beetlejuice looked at her, still confused.

"What do you mean? Doing that would've sent me back!"

"No…." Lydia felt the soft fabric of his jacket between her fingers. "I called out your _real_ name."

"What…? How? You can't possibly know that!" Beetlejuice yelped.

"Letia…she told me," Lydia bit her lip. Beetlejuice's hold on Lydia loosened and his expression went blank. "BJ?" Lydia suddenly felt nervous.

"You met her?" he whispered. Lydia nodded slightly and looked at her hands on his jacket.

"She came to me while you were fighting. She told me a lot of things. About you, about Auden, and…"

"_You love him as well, don't you, Lydia?"_

"…about us." Lydia's voice was shaking now. Processing everything became impossible at this point. She knew that. One of Beetlejuice's hands touched her chin and pulled it up so she could look at him.

"What about _us_?" He whispered to her. His eyebrows were arched as his jade eyes gleamed with something Lydia had not noticed before.

"What am I doing to do with you?" Juno's voice floated in the wind. Beetlejuice grabbed onto Lydia tightly as they faded away from her apartment.

The bustle and hub of the underworld welcomed them as they reappeared in Juno's office. Lydia covered her mouth as the immense fog of smoke covered them.

"Juno…? Kck…" Lydia called out while coughing. Juno appeared at her desk.

"You really messed things up. I'll be stuck with the paperwork for decades after what you two have done." Juno's voice was stern, and a bit annoyed. Beetlejuice let go of Lydia and placed a hand on his hip, inspecting the red nails of his other hand with a half-grin.

"I did what'cha told me to, Juno. I took care of that situation. Man, you should'a seen it too! So what's my reward, eh?" He licked his lips slightly.

"Your reward should be going back into that holding cell!" Juno spat out angrily. Beetlejuice dropped his pose.

"Why?"

"For all the damage you caused. In the process of your 'dealing of the situation', you destroyed a third of the city. You also killed, Geuse. You killed at least a dozen mortals. I say at least because most of them probably vaporized on impact of your magic. If it wasn't for Lydia stopping you, you would've decimated everything! And on top of that, you froze time AGAIN!"

Beetlejuice looked sheepish as Lydia watched him.

"And you, you're lucky you're not dead yet, otherwise you'd be in the same situation!" Juno growled at Lydia.

"What, why?" She exclaimed.

"Knowing Geuse's life name is bad enough as it is, but SPEAKING it is intolerable. You're the one that awakened that fatal power within him, so the deaths caused by it are partly your responsibility." Juno took a puff of her cigarette as Lydia's face flushed with anger.

"It wasn't my fault! Letia told me…she…she told me it was the only way BJ would be able to stop Auden. Besides," Lydia pointed to the caseworker. "You didn't help at all with not telling me my connection to this whole mess! Maybe if you informed me earlier, this wouldn't have happened!" She pulled some of her hair behind and ear. "And if you didn't notice, I stopped him before he could do anything else. That should count for something!"

Juno's face was unreadable to Lydia. She couldn't tell if she offended the elderly ghoul or if she won the argument. The ghoul leaned back in her chair.

"You stopped him, yes. With the admittance of your love for him."

"Your what?" Beetlejuice gasped and looked over at Lydia. She blushed.

"This is a problem. For obvious reasons, I'm sure you can see. He is dead and you are not. It's taboo to carry on romantic relations between the living and dead." Juno leaned forward and rested her head on her wrinkled hands. "So much paperwork…Tch…"

"Lyds…you…_love_…_me?_" Beetlejuice looked at Lydia with stunned eyes. She glanced back at him, unsure of what to say. She did love him, didn't she? Despite all the destruction he caused, she had felt something for him. It wasn't until Letia asked her, that she began to acknowledge it for herself.

"You two really have caused a lot of problems. But first things first. Before anything else gets out of hand, you need to rid yourself of your powers."

The two looked at Juno. Beetlejuice frowned.

"But why? I'm fine! I promise I won't do anything too heinous with them! I feel whole again….don't do that to me!" he whined.

"We can't risk you destroying everything above or below. It's that simple," Juno said as she pulled out the small chest. "You've done enough already."

"Wait, Juno!" Lydia called out, thinking of something. She thought of how Beetlejuice could heal her before. Maybe…just maybe…

"What?" Juno quipped.

"Beetlejuice healed me when he got his other powers back, right? Maybe if I call out his real name again, he could use that power to revive everyone that was killed!"

"Hrm….I'm sure I could do that with ease." Beetlejuice grinned. Juno's face squished as she was deep in thought.

"It might work. But how do you plan on controlling him? As you saw already, once his true power is out, it takes him over."

"Hey, no one controls the B-man! I am my own ghoul!" Beetlejuice groaned in protest. Lydia rolled her eyes and shrugged.

"Easy. He prepares to revive the people, I call his power out, and then as soon as it's done, I call it again. It seemed to work before."

"This is such crap that my names are always used to control me somehow…" Beetlejuice mumbled under his breath. Juno shot him an irritated glare before looked back at Lydia.

"Please Juno, can we at least try this? Think of the people who died too early?" Lydia's eyes pleaded with Juno's.

"I'm going to get in trouble myself for this…but…fine. I'm coming with you to make sure this works, though." Juno stood from her desk and held the chest in her short arms. "But, if this doesn't work, you will be stripped of your powers, Geuse. And you will be wiped of your memory, Lydia. We can't have the risk."

"Thanks, Juno!" Lydia smiled and glanced over at Beetlejuice. He was grinning like his usual self.

"Let's go, Babes!" Beetlejuice practically sung to her as the three fizzled out of Juno's office.


	17. Lost and Found

**Lost and Found**

The three reappeared in Lydia's bedroom. Lydia frowned and rubbed her temples. "My poor apartment…" she grumbled.

"Hurry up and get this done. The longer you wait, the weaker the souls get," Juno spat.

"No prob! I got this!" Beetlejuice rubbed his hands together with a triumphant grin. Lydia glanced over at him.

_Please work…please work…_her mind repeated over and over.

"Remember what you have to do. REVIVIE, not destroy." Juno said. Her voice was calm, but Lydia sensed that she was just as nervous as her. Lydia took a deep breath.

"Please let this work…Kalen!" Lydia called out into the freezing air around them. A burst of green light exploded from Beetlejuice's body, making the other two step back. His body rose into the air. They watched as green light swam from his hands and out into the city. The string of light surrounded the areas where people had been killed, and dug into the ground. Each energy string pulled out a blue orb of light. Lydia watched in awe as the orbs of energy formed into the bodies of the deceased. The bodies all were then laid along each other in the snowy street, unconscious. The green energy then combined and covered the decimated buildings, reforming them. Lydia started to smile in relief that it was working.

"I don't believe it…" Juno uttered. "So much power…"

Lydia turned to Beetlejuice as the buildings finished being reconstructed. He turned to her and she saw something flicker in his eyes. He licked his green lips hungrily as he looked at her.

"Beetlejuice?" Lydia gasped. He flew down to her and grabbed her body, pulling it back up with him.

"Damnit! Let her go, Geuse!" Juno cried. Beetlejuice shot down a rainstorm of green light towards Juno, and she dodged them as much as she could, rolling under Lydia's bed for protection. Lydia looked at him in horror. He glared into her dark eyes and wrapped his fingers around her neck.

_Why is he trying to kill me? Why? Is his power that hungry? That violent? _Lydia thought as he tightened his grip on her. Lydia grabbed along the striped sleeve of his arm and tried to pull. His eyes grew darker as he smiled evilly. She could feel her life being sucked away from her, as if he was absorbing it into himself.

"BJ…please….stop…" Lydia begged as she gasped for air. "K…Ka…" She tried to say his name, but she could feel her windpipe starting to crack.

"I knew this wasn't going to work!" Juno's voice said from underneath Lydia's bed. Lydia's hazy eyes fell to that direction and saw the small rusty chest appear and open. Juno mumbled something that Lydia couldn't understand and grey, transparent hands flung out of the chest and grabbed onto Beetlejuice. His grasp on Lydia loosened and she fell to the floor as he struggled against the snake-like arms of the grey hands while they tightened around him like rope. He growled angrily like a lion as he fought against the binding force. "Say his name, Lydia!" Juno exclaimed from behind the dizzy mortal.

"K…a…le…n…." Lydia whimpered in pain as she forced the word out of her partially broken throat. Beetlejuice's eyes and mouth widened as purple energy flew out of them. The grey hands squeezed his body like it was a bottle of toothpaste. Lydia held her throat and watched as the purple energy flew into the rusty chest beside her. The grey hands slowly unraveled from Beetlejuice, pulling a trail of green energy from his chest along with them. They re-entered the chest and it closed. Juno grabbed it and placed the key in the lock. Beetlejuice's weakened, unconscious body slowly floated to the floor. Lydia crawled over to him, still holding her neck. She grabbed his jacket with her free hand and shook him, trying to wake him up.

Her hand rose to his cheek and patted it. She gasped for air as she started to actually smack his face. Her vision was becoming hazier. Was she going to pass out? Was she going to die? Didn't she have enough near-death experiences the past few days? She felt something cold grab her and she lifted her head to see Beetlejuice gazing down at her hand. His fingers slid over the golden ring that was on her finger. He turned to her and his eyes bulged out as she coughed. Blood splattered out of her mouth and onto his jacket.

"Lyds? Oh no…What did I do? WHAT DID I DO?" Beetlejuice cried as he pulled Lydia into his arms. "I…I feel so weak…I can't heal this….can I?" He frowned as tears rolled down Lydia's cheeks. "Juno! Juno, help!" he called out. Juno phased through the bed and sat on it. Smoke lightly seeped through her neck. "Don't just sit there! Help her! Give me my magic so I can save her!"

"I can't do that. When I sealed this chest, I sealed it for good. There is no way it can be opened again." Juno's voice sounded very defeated to Lydia.

"Damnit! She can't die, Juno! Lyds!" Beetlejuice shook Lydia slightly and gazed down at her. Lydia looked up at his jade eyes and smiled a little. She swore she could see something rolling out of his eyes, but her vision was becoming so hazy…"All I've done is hurt you…" Beetlejuice's voice was breaking up. Lydia felt herself slipping away. "This isn't fair!"

Lydia coughed as more blood seeped from her lips, dripping onto the floor. She winced as she lifted one of her hands and touched Beetlejuice's face.

"Why do you care if she dies?" Juno asked bluntly. "She'd be a ghost just like you. What does it matter?"

"I don't want that for her…." Beetlejuice responded slowly, staring down into Lydia's fading eyes. He leaned into her hand and she could feel his cold skin warming up from her touch. "She doesn't deserve this. She's too young to die…she has so much…to live for…" His voice was becoming faint in Lydia's head and she closed her eyes.

_It's alright…like this…_Lydia thought to herself.

"You care that _much for her_?" Juno asked, sounding miles away.

"_I…I love her…"_ Beetlejuice's voice was a mere whisper as darkness set in.

"_My name is Lydia Deetz and I am of sound mind. The man next to me is the one I want. You asked me, I'm answering. Yes, I love that man of mine."_

Lavender. It smelled so sweet. She felt like she was bathing in it. Everything was so dark. Where was she? She could hear running water. Her hands reached out, feeling satin fabric. Why couldn't she see?

_Beetlejuice!_

Lydia's eyes fluttered open and the first thing she saw was her opal ceiling above. Her body sprung up and her hand clasped the satin sheets of her bed. Her eyes were wide and darting around the room. She was in her bedroom. And it looked…normal? Nothing was broken, burned, ripped...not a book out of place. Sunlight poured through her window and small snowflakes fluttered past the glass. Lydia rubbed along her neck. Nothing was wrong. Lydia quickly looked at her hands. The ring was missing.

_Was I dreaming?_

Running water from her bathroom diverted her attention and she slid out of her bed and stretched. Did she leave it running? She approached the door and sighed. If her mind really imagined all that happened, then Beetlejuice never did come back. She never met Juno and Vincent wasn't dead. What did that mean, then? Lydia pulled back her messy hair and yawned a little. Her head felt heavy, so she decided not to think anymore about it. She'd take a bath first. The scent of lavender was so strong…

When Lydia opened the door, the lights were so bright that she had to rub her eyes. As her arms fell down to her side, she gasped. Beetlejuice was kneeling beside the bathtub, running his off-white hand under the water. His jacket was missing, as well as a shirt. He looked like he had just showered himself.

"B…Beetlejuice?" Lydia muttered. The poltergeist turned off the water and stood up with a warm smile as he looked at Lydia.

"Thought you'd never wake up, Babes." He grabbed a towel and dried off his hands. Lydia was completely dumbfounded. "I drew you a bath. Figured you'd want one."

"Wh…what happened….why….? Am I dead?" Lydia stammered. Beetlejuice chuckled and walked up to her.

"Nah. You're as alive as I'm not." He threw his head back and cackled at his little joke. Lydia extended one of her arms and lightly touched his bare chest, confirming for herself that he wasn't a hallucination. His hand took hers and pressed it against her chest as he lowered his head to her, nestling it into her hair at the dip between her neck and shoulder. She felt her heart pounding. "And I'm so glad for that."

"What happened? I thought I was dying!" Lydia exhaled. Her free arm slowly slid around him.

"You were. And I couldn't do a damn thing to stop it." His voice seemed dark, almost lost in what he was saying.

"Then how…?" Beetlejuice rubbed his cheek against her neck. Her skin tingled at the sensation.

"The bosses."

"Bosses? You mean of the underworld?"

"Yep. The big guys. They saved you."

"But how? Why? I don't understand…" Beetlejuice pushed his head over her shoulder and leaned the side of his head against her, pulling her hair out of his face. Lydia smelled lavender and vanilla from his damp hair.

"They showed up at the end and basically told me that because of what I did to save those mortals and what not, I had a choice. I could either let you die and join me in the underworld, or they would revive you and you would have your memories erased of everything that happened. I couldn't bear knowing you died because of me, and weren't able to live your life. So I chose the other option."

"But…I remember you….I remember everything…"

"Thank Juno for that one. She pleaded with the bosses, saying something about a promise she made to someone a long time ago. I dunno how she did it, but they let you keep your memories. Even the one of my name. Guess it doesn't matter now, since those powers are all gone now."

"Oh, BJ…" Lydia sighed and rested her head on his shoulder as he held her.


	18. The Best of Both Worlds

**The Best of Both Worlds**

"So there's one thing I still don't understand…" Lydia said as she brushed out her hair in her mirror. In the reflection, she saw a stretched out Beetlejuice on her bed. Her heart fluttered as she saw him sit up and scratch the back of his neck. His hair fell to the side of his face and seemed to shimmer in the rays of sun.

"What's that?" Beetlejuice asked. Lydia put down her brush and turned to him.

"Why do you look the way you do? How did you age…backwards?" Her hand stretched across her chest and rested along the elbow of her other arm. Beetlejuice grinned slightly.

"You really wanna know?" He sounded cocky.

"Of course I want to know. Why do you think I asked?" Lydia grumbled. Beetlejuice chuckled and slapped his hands on his thighs. The poltergeist leaned forward on Lydia's bed.

"It's well…because of you, I guess you could say…" His eyes sparkled. Lydia felt her heart jump.

"Because of me? How?" Beetlejuice held out his hands and gazed down at them as they lay on his thighs.

"After we met, somethin' happened. Back then, I couldn't explain it. There was jus' something about you that made me…change…inside."

Lydia tilted her head slightly to her side and cocked an eyebrow. He was joking, right?

"Change as in how? You didn't _act_ any different when you came back. Just as egotistical and perverted as ever." Beetlejuice flashed her a half-grin.

"Well I wasn't gonna make it obvious, okay? It's embarassin'…" He glanced back down to his hands, flexing the fingers as he spoke. "Didn't want ya knowin' you had an impact on me. I'm very prideful, ya know." He shrugged. "So anyway, when I got eaten by the sandworm, I was supposed to die permanently. But fer some reason, that didn't happen. I survived…just barely…and was found on Saturn by Juno. None-too-pleased with me, she threw me into the waiting area, making me wait…EONS…to see her again. And on top of that, I got my head shrunk by some voodoo guy with no sense of humor! And when I finally got to see her, Juno chewed me out. She sent me to that boring holding cell, saying something to the effect of how I needed to do some serious thinkin'. She told me that the bosses were pretty pissed at me and that I needed to stay in there until they figured out what to do with me."

"When I was in there, I felt something weird happening to me. Some part of me hated myself for what I did to you. What made you _special_ didn't click with me back then. But still, I felt…guilty. I had not felt that in a very long time. Being left in there all alone and unable to do anything, I started thinkin', like Juno told me to. Over some time, I noticed my body changing. I was starting to revert back to my human age…the age at where I died. I eventually realized that my soul was reacting to my emotions. The power from within me amplified how I was feeling, somehow bringing me closer to how I looked when I was alive. I guess now it makes sense."

"What do you mean?" Lydia asked. Beetlejuice flinched.

"I found out…back when you were injured and I brought you to Juno's office the first time…that you were connected to Letia. Juno told me right before I was able to save you."

_That's why he was so off then…_Lydia thought.

"She told me to keep a distance from you, because she wasn't sure what was happening here and what it could mean."

"What exactly does this have to do with your aging? I still don't understand."

Beetlejuice stood up and scratched the back of his neck with a heavy sigh.

"Basically, the guilt I started feeling back then kinda reminded my soul of the guilt I felt of not bein' able to help Letia before she died. When she killed Auden, the townspeople were very angry with her, and I had to fight a few off to keep them from killing her. Right 'bout then, the plague rolled around and killed most of the people in the first wave. She got really sick, and I couldn't do anything…."He stopped briefly, lost in his memory. Then he snapped out of it and looked back at Lydia. "It awakened a part of me that was deeply buried, I guess you could say. The human part of me that I forgot about after I died. My soul reacted to it and changed my body. My body initially looked the way you saw me then because of how I let myself go when I died. I didn't care about my looks. And like in life, if you let yourself go…you _let yourself go_…get my drift?"

An image of herself looking similar to Juno popped into Lydia's head, making her cringe.

"Yeah, I get it."

"You know Lyds, you still owe me…" Beetlejuice's voice suddenly sounded soothing, almost like a coo. He approached Lydia, who backed into her dresser.

"…What…what do you want?" She blurted as her muscles tensed with nervousness. As he chuckled in amusement, his faded yellow danced along his cheeks. He extended his arms and pressed himself against the raven-haired mortal. Lydia felt the wood push into her back as he pinned her. His cheek grazed hers lightly and his lips tickled her ear. Lydia's breathing halted for a moment. _What is he doing to me?_

"Admit your feelings for me, Lydia Deetz." His voice sent waves of electricity through every cell of her being. She gulped and it sounded like something exploded within her throat. Beetlejuice drew his head back and gazed into her eyes sincerely with his own. Some of his hair hung over his eyes, making him nearly angelic. Lydia's heart was pounding once again. The things this ghost did to her…

It was hopeless now. There was no point in denying it any longer. She had to accept what fate brought to her. And what fate brought was him. The past few years had only been a struggle for her over how she felt. In the few meetings she had with this ghoul as a teenager, she always knew something was there. Something about his witty nature and sense of humor (albeit sick) tugged at her heart. But her fears overtook her at the time. This was the reason she had to leave. She was running away from the memories of _him_. Trying to forget _him._ But now…

"I…love you, Beetlejuice. Damn me to hell, I love you." Lydia lifted her face to his and pressed her warm lips against his cold ones. His arms caressed her arms and intertwined around her back. The kiss this time was much more powerful. Lydia felt her body quiver under his touch and her fingers wrapped around soft hunks of his hair. Every thought of the past few days flew out of her mind as his scent, his touch, his very soul filled her. Nothing else mattered.

She felt her feet lose touch with the floor and she opened her eyes for a second. They were floating in mid-air! Lydia would've smiled if her mouth wasn't busy, and she closed her eyes as the two floated towards her bed. The soft satin welcomed her as Beetlejuice landed on top of her. When he let go of her, she felt empty. His fingers traced the lines of her face as she opened her eyes to look at him. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly and adrenaline coursed through her veins. If merely kissing him made he feel like she was running a 5k marathon, what would anything _else_ do? Her cheeks filled with blood at the thought. Beetlejuice grinned down at her.

"All I wanted, Lyds," Beetlejuice whispered as his fingers fell along her neckline, tickling Lydia slightly through the cloth of her shirt. His hand ran across her chest and rested above her racing heart. "was this."

"BJ…" Lydia sounded downright exasperated. One of her hands topped his and she smiled. "Me too…"

"You sure you really want this?" Beetlejuice's face turned sad. "I can't give you what you humans usually want. Bein' dead and all…I can't…ya know…the whole kid thing…"

It was Lydia's turn to chuckle. Her hand squeezed his.

"I don't care about that. I never wanted the traditional marriage with white picket fences and 2.5 kids plus dog. I'm strange and unusual, remember?" Beetlejuice's face brightened back up and his lowered his head, pressing his forehead against hers with closed eyes.

"That's why I love you." His confession was so matter-of-fact, it made Lydia shiver. She rose her chin up to kiss him again, but stopped abruptly. Beetlejuice opened his eyes and pulled back.

"What is it?" He asked as if he did something wrong. Lydia bit her lip.

"Isn't…this…taboo or something? Didn't Juno say that?" She remembered being yelled at by the caseworker. Beetlejuice snickered and pressed his forehead against hers again.

"Screw the rules. If it becomes a problem, we'll deal with it. Way I see it…we have the best of both worlds here. And after what Juno did, I had a feeling they won't be buggin' us for a little while, at least."

_Best of both worlds? I like the sound of that…_Lydia thought.

"Well then, if that's the case…" She giggled before kissing her newfound lover. His hand ran up to her face and cupped it, feeling warm from resting against her chest. They stayed like that for what felt like a millennia, discovering each other in ways they never thought of. Something new and dangerous was starting. And Lydia was excited to see where it would lead.

Because when it came to the "Ghost with the Most", anything was possible.


	19. Just Say the Word

**Just Say the Word**

Lydia murmured as she stretched out along the soft sheets. Her arm reached to her side as if trying to grab something, but only held onto air. Her eyes fluttered open as a yawn flew from her lips. "BJ…?" She moaned through another yawn as she sat up in her bed. "Where did he go?" The young woman thought aloud as she pulled back her hair. She got herself out of bed and into the kitchen to cook some breakfast with a skip in her step.

Some time had passed since everything happened. Things feel into routine, with Beetlejuice living in her apartment with her. He calmed down quite a bit, but she'd catch him scaring neighbors with his old parlor tricks every once in a while. She felt an overwhelming sense of security with him around that she never experienced before. She got back into photography full-force, even landing a job in a local funeral home. It made a decent amount in pay, helping her save for a house some day. Lydia even got back in touch with her parents more frequently, slowly giving them bits and pieces of what happened. Beetlejuice's return was a huge blow for her parents and especially the Maitlands. None of them believed the change in him that Lydia had explained, but in the end it didn't matter. Their intimate relationship was still under wraps, of course. She couldn't cause her father to have a heart attack…yet.

The delicious smell of cinnamon filled the small apartment as Lydia prepared some French toast. She felt confident that Beetlejuice would like her meal. She was slowly getting him to eat human food again. Lydia asked once what happened to it after he ate it, since it wouldn't digest. He only scoffed and told her it naturally disappeared. She imagined that it turned into some sort of energy somehow. As she flipped the sizzling bread in the pan, she felt arms snuggly wrap around her waist. "Good morning. I wondered where you went," she said softly as Beetlejuice's head rested on her shoulder from behind. "You didn't terrify more children, did you?"

"Ha! I wish…" Beetlejuice said. Lydia grabbed her spatula and put the French toast on two plates. Beetlejuice let her go and floated over to the table, sitting down in his usual spot. She placed the plate in front of him and sat down. He grabbed a fork and hastily scarffed down the hot food, to Lydia's amazement. She rose and eyebrow, intrigued.

"What _were _you doing?"

Beetlejuice swallowed and belched happily.

"Finish yer food and get dressed. I have a surprise." He grinned wickedly, making Lydia nervous. His "plans" were always…troublesome, to say the least. With a shrug, she ate her meal and went into her bedroom, not asking a thing.

Throwing on a t-shirt and blue jeans, she sulked back into the living room, braiding her hair at her side as she walked.

"Tch…that won't do!" Beetlejuice sneered and snapped his fingers. Her casual clothing flashed brightly for a second, before being replaced with a strapless black dress. Black lace flowed from the miniskirt, running down past her knees and resting at the top of black, knee-high heeled boots. Black lace fingerless gloves covered her hands and a silver necklace lay around her neck, with a skull pendant sitting above her cleavage. She blushed slightly as she looked herself over and loved the outfit. "Much better!" Beetlejuice said as Lydia gazed back over at him. His clothing changed as well, with a simple black tuxedo welcoming her eyes. A partially-wilted rose sat in his chest pocket and he licked his palms, running his hands through his hair. It magically changed into a low ponytail neatly tied back at his neck. A few strands fell down the sides of his face.

"What are you planning, BJ?" Lydia wondered out loud as he grinned widely. He pulled a hand behind his back and walked up to Lydia. His other hand held itself out for her as he bowed.

"M'lady, would you do me the honor of joining me on this beautiful day for some exquisite merriment?" Beetlejuice's attempt at sounding fancy made Lydia giggled. Her hand slipped into his.

"Why, Sir, I do believe that sounds invigorating! I would love to join you, if I may," she replied with a match of her own type of fanciness. Beetlejuice's jade eyes flashed her a few sparkles when he straightened back up. He embraced her against him, holding her tightly.

"Hold on, Babes," he whispered. Lydia smiled as the couple phased out of her apartment.

Dim candlelight flickered around them as Lydia and Beetlejuice reappeared in a room covered in red velvet. Lydia was amazed at the thousands of small candles that illuminated the room, from sitting along shelves to hanging from the ceiling. Violin music from an unknown source danced through Lydia's ears as her eyes lay on a small table in the center of the room. White lace covered it and a vase of crimson red roses sat as the centerpiece. Two wooden chairs that looked like they were very old were pulled out for them.

"BJ, what is this?" Lydia asked as he let go of her. "What is this all about? Where are we?" Beetlejuice kept his grin as he led Lydia to the table, letting her sit before pushing her chair in.

"It's not a surprise if I told ya! Sheesh." He spat playfully as he sat down in his chair. His fingers did their usual snap and a skeleton clad in a waiter's outfit appeared beside the table. Lydia could smell mold. Whoever it was once, it had to have died in water. The gross thought dissipated from her mind as the skeleton asked if they were ready for their meal.

"BJ! If I knew you were treating me to food, I wouldn't have cooked breakfast!" Lydia gasped. Beetlejuice waved a hand at her to keep quiet and nodded to the skeleton. The skeleton placed two glasses on the table, along with a bottle of some sort of wine. It then disappeared. Beetlejuice turned back to Lydia.

"No worries, it's not a whole meal. Jus' something special. You'll see." He sounded smug as he spoke. Lydia furrowed her brows.

_What is he up to? I know he likes to show off, but this…_she thought hard, trying to him out. He reached across the table and took one of her hands into his. Lydia glanced at their joined hands, following his arm up to his face. "How long have we known each other?" He asked in a wondering tone while his eyes lingered on their hands. Lydia thought a moment.

"Around eight years. Why?"

"Not around. Exactly." His eyes gaze into hers. Then it hit her.

_Could it be?_

The wine bottle floated into the air and opened on its own, pouring dark purple liquid into the two glasses.

"You mean…?"

"Today is the anniversary of the first day we met, Lydia." Beetlejuice was beaming as he stated the fact. Lydia had not thought of that at all. And Beetlejuice remembered? "I just wanted to celebrate it, ya know." His fingers rolled around Lydia's. The two glasses floated over their arms and landed before them. Lydia took her glass and could smell a mixture of grapes, strawberries, and something else she couldn't quite identify. Beetlejuice followed suit, raising it with his hand. Lydia did the same and smiled. The skeleton waiter appeared before they could toast. Lydia watched as a small platter floated from above, landing in front of her. Beetlejuice thanked the skeleton and it left once again. "Cheers to us, Lyds." Beetlejuice said. "To eight years of knowing each other…" The platter cover lifted itself and Lydia glanced downwards to see a silver box in the center of the silver plate. It slowly opened, and golden light flushed across her face. Lying gently on a small white pillow-like cloth was the golden ring. Lydia's eyes widened. "…and hopefully…a lot more….if…"Beetlejuice started to stammer. "…if you'll have me…"

Lydia nearly dropped her glass. The ring was different. Something was written inside it and it was glowing. She was speechless as she read the engravement: _"LD - __All you have to do is say my name, and I'll be there - BJ"_

"BJ…I…oh my god…" Lydia forced the words out. Beetlejuice squeezed her hand within his. She looked at him and saw his jade eyes sparkling like diamonds in the candlelight. He was shaking a little in nervousness. Lydia never saw him like this before. She put her glass on the table and picked up the box. Her hands quivered as they put the box across the table. Beetlejuice's face seemed to lose all emotion as his eyes glared at the box. "I can't accept this…" Lydia said. He gawked at her in rejection. She smiled. "Not until you put it on me yourself."

"…Lydia…" Beetlejuice sighed heavily and took the ring out of its place. He slid out of his chair and walked to her side, getting down on one knee. "It's only because of you that I'm doing this stupid pose…" he grumbled. Lydia felt tears swell around her eyes as she held her hand out. He lightly slipped the ring over her finger and it smoothly ran against her skin as it fit into place. She grabbed onto him tightly, her lips colliding with his in a passionate kiss.

For the first time in her short life, Lydia's world felt complete.

After moments of tender intimacy, the couple broke their embrace and Lydia caught her breath. Beetlejuice returned to his seat and picked up his glass. "To us." Lydia wiped the tears from her cheeks and rose her glass to join in the toast.

"To forever." She said with a smile. The two then took swigs of their wine. Lydia felt the liquid instantly warm her body as it ran down her throat.

"So…you're gonna be Mrs. Juice, eh? Think you can live with that?" He did his traditional snicker as he finished off his wine. Lydia ran a finger along the rim of her glass.

"Oh, I think…no…I _know _I can handle it," she said confidently. "It's my parents I'm not so sure about…"

Her eyes gazed over to Beetlejuice and the two burst out into laughter.

~FIN~


End file.
